• Photos of Staunton Harold Reservoir, South Derbyshire, England
Staunton
Harold reservoir is south of Melbourne, the village its self is actually located in Leicestershire, only the reservoir is in Derbyshire.
The windmill tower at the top of the reservoir dates from 1798. It was built
by the first lord of Melbourne at a cost of £250 and milled local
grain. "Tower" windmills of this sort were developed in the 18th
century. A domed top, to which the sails were attached, could revolve and
take advantage of the wind, whichever direction it blew from. Movement from
the sails was transmitted to the millstones through a series of gear wheels.
By the late 19th century the mill was disused and gradually it became derelict.
In 1963, a plan was developed to convert it into an observation tower with
a concrete top and viewing platform which would overlook the new reservoir.
However, the old building was found to be unsuitable and the conversion
was never completed.
The site of Furnace Farm now lies under water, 200m from the dam. This was
formerly a forge, probably dating back to the first half of the 17th century.
Here, cast iron was worked into wrought iron using hammers powered by a
water wheel, located on a stream that passed through the valley.
By 1735, the old forge had been converted to a charcoal-fired blast furnace.
Again water power from the nearby stream was used, this time to operate
bellows. Charcoal was supplied from Melbourne wood. The furnace closed down
sometime before 1800. |
