Tag: ENPA

Celebrating Climate Week 3 – 9 March 2014

News from the Exmoor National Park Authority

Exmoor National Park Authority has, in recent years, looked closely at how it could become a “carbon neutral National Park”.

Evidence has shown that Exmoor’s woodlands and hedges are a huge and possibly undervalued source of woodfuel. In recent years a number of land owners have started to look at alternatives to oil, including wind power, photovoltaics and wood fuel. The National Park Authority is particularly interested in woodfuel because it encourages the management of traditional hedgebanks and broadleaved woodlands.

One such example of this renewed interest in woodfuel is the Edwards family at Westermill Farm, near Exford in the heart of the National Park (www.westermill.com) who were supported through the Carbon Neutral Exmoor project. Westermill is a 500 acre sheep and beef farm with holiday accommodation and a campsite.  The heating requirement for the site comprised a traditional Exmoor farmhouse, six holiday cottages and a wash house/shower block for the campsite. With the shower block using LPG, the farmhouse using oil and the holiday cottages using mains electricity the heating costs were high. A district heating scheme serving all these components has now been installed powered by a large 150 kWp Froling tx150 woodchip boiler.

The farm had already been planting shelter belts with trees for the last 50 or so years. These trees are now maturing allowing for approximately 200 trees to be felled and chipped a year with harvesting and planting continuing at the same rate annually. The farm also invested in planting 18,500 new trees with support from the National Park Authority and Forestry Commission 7 years ago and now plans to introduce a coppice programme to provide further woodfuel.

Oliver Edwards commented “It’s really a win-win situation. We gain heat in a sustainable and cost effective way whilst benefiting the farm and wildlife too. The project also benefits the local economy – all the contractors and suppliers we used were local to the area. We’re now looking to secure funding for our own chipper to maximise cost savings, fuel security and lower transport emissions.”

Given the high and relatively consistent demand on the site, wood fuel is already proving to be a good solution. Even with initial high costs, the return on investment looks promising once the Renewable Heat Incentive is secured, coupled with fuels costs estimated to be reduced by over 50%. It is estimated the installation will save around 125 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

News from Exmoor National Park: White Rock Cottage in Simonsbath – Open Day

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ENPAExmoor National Park Authority has recently completed the purchase of White Rock Cottage (the former school site) in Simonsbath. The previous owners, West Somerset Council, agreed to sell the site once it became clear that plans to develop it for affordable housing, while conserving its historic importance, were not likely to be financially viable.

 

Chief Executive Dr Nigel Stone said: “The National Park decided to buy the property primarily with the objective of safeguarding the historic interest of this important site which formed part of the Knight estate and the 19th Century reclamation of Exmoor Forest.

 

“We are already working with the Parish Council and local community and there will be a public open day on Monday 18November when we look forward to welcoming anyone who would like to help shape our thinking on the best way to conserve and utilise White Rock Cottage and other heritage sites in Simonsbath.  We intend that the project should be led and managed by a local group and would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to play a part in the development of the project. We would also like to hear from anyone who went to the school or has memories of the site in the past.

“In time, we hope to secure the funding needed to restore the buildings and provide public access so that, when combined with the many other locations of interest such as the landscape gardens in Ashcombe: the 19th century sawmill and pound building, Simonsbath can become an even more interesting destination in the centre of the National Park.”

A recent report on White Rock Cottage commissioned by the National Park Authority reveals the former school site was built in the early 1800’s as a ‘picturesque’ element – a cottage orné – within a designed garden landscape being developed by the Knight family. The original rustic cottage was extended in the 1850s to provide on-site staff accommodation and part converted in 1857 to use as a school within the newly established community of Simonsbath.  The building has been used in the later 20th century as a research and study centre but has been closed for a considerable time.

Now that the building has been acquired, the National Park will be undertaking conservation work aimed at halting the further deterioration of the building which has been exposed to the elements for some time. In order to start the process of drying out the building, a local conservation builder will be removing loose masonry and render; opening up the door and window openings and covering the whole structure with a temporary scaffolding roof.  The drying process may take one or two years to complete by which time future plans will have been prepared and funding sought for the full restoration phase to begin.

The event on 18th November will include a display about the area in Boeveys tea-room where refreshments will be available.

Also on the 18 November the historic 19th century water-powered sawmill at Simonsbath will be open from 10am-4pm. The sawmill is owned by the National Park Authority and there will be ‘drop-in’ tours available all day.

There is limited public parking at the mill so people might prefer to park at the public car park at Ashcombe, where there are toilets and walk 500 metres to the site.