at Old Walls Hydro
Waterleat Walks & Talks is a family run business
managed by Miles and Gail Fursdon at their
Dartmoor farm, Old Walls, where they
turn the power of falling water
into electrical energy.
Retiring or at least slowing down!
Upgrade from boggy waterhole to trough
The 10th and final year of free walks
Runners-up for the UK Ashden Award for Sustainable Energy 2004
Bath & West Diversification Winners 2007
Dartmoor First award winners
In 1995 we developed a micro-hydro system at Old Walls, drawing water from the West Webburn and channelling it along the valley side in a leat. It then enters a long, steep pipe and turns turbines before returning to the river.
Clean, renewable electricity is generated – enough to supply around 80 homes. It is used to power the farm, with the surplus exported to the National Grid.