THE National Trust has restored a 100-year-old renewable energy system at Castle Drogo, near Drewsteignton, thanks to public support.

The hydropower system, which was originally designed in the early 1900s by the celebrated architect Edwin Lutyens, has been carefully restored over the past ten months, including both original turbines. It was switched on last Friday, October 20, and will be supplying green energy to the estate.

Julius Drewe, a Victorian businessman who was so successful he retired aged 33, commissioned a state-of-the-art home for his family so the castle was kitted out with the latest in electric technology of its day.

This included a hydropower system on the River Teign, which was a system that uses fast-flowing water to generate energy that was capable of providing electricity for the entire house.

The hydro turbine building was designed by Lutyens and the project included constructing a weir further up the river and a concrete pipe to transport the water down to the building. Work began in 1928 and was finished by March 1929. For many decades the electricity produced supplied the castle, but in the early 1970s the castle was connected to the National Grid, and some 20 years later, in the early 1990s, the hydro system was shut down.

Project Manager Graham Waddell said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted that after all this time, we can finally fully reinstate the entire character of this remarkable place, with its renewable energy system powering the property once again.

‘It is fantastic to be able to share with the public for the first time what must have been absolutely unique in its day – and the message of generating sustainable, renewable energy is something that resonates with all of us even today, in an age where talking climate change is an increasingly urgent issue. The electricity the hydro system generates will power the visitor centre, which includes the café and shop, as well as additional heat for the castle.’

Wesley Key, building Surveyor for Castle Drogo and Dartmoor, said: ‘It’s good to see the hydro turbine turned back on after all these years – especially after I turned it off in May 1994. It’s taken a long time to get to this point but it’s great to be up and running and generating power for Castle Drogo.’

The two Francis Gilkes turbines (originally installed in 1928) have been carefully restored and reinstalled in the turbine house. The project also reused a large proportion of the original system to maintain its character whilst introducing new components where originals were beyond repair.

In addition, to maximise use of the energy the hydro system generates it has been linked to the biomass heating system, so the castle and visitor centre will also be heated using a combination of renewable energy sources.

The project has been funded by the National Trust’s Renewable Energy Investment Programme. To build a more sustainable energy future by 2020 the National Trust has committed to generating 50% of its energy from renewable sources.