| Refurbishment
grounds, but it is the intension of the current miller to push production back up to in excess of 40 tonnes a year once the repairs are completed.
Leaking pond wall Throughout the last 20 years, Eling has had a problem
with a leaking pond wall which had deteriorated to such an extent that an engineering solution was sought in 2022. The plan is for resin to be injected into the wall to seal the cavity and prevent further movement of the wall but this option has been referred to Historic England for approval. The leak from the wall has also adversely affected the beams supporting the machinery. These are made of green oak, were installed at the end of the 1970s and have suffered from erosion caused by the leak
through the pond wall, to such an extent that structural engineers have advised their replacement. Inspections over the last year have seen a significant deterioration of the beams and the potential damage that would be caused by their failure in operation, has led the miller to cease milling operations and to seek rectification. The leak through the wall has also led, indirectly,
to damage to the toe board on the sluice gate. This is designed to slide over the seal, and shut off the water flow. Around ten years ago, due to a leak under the gate, a repair was undertaken that moved the gate forward as it closed and installed an angle iron stop. This has stopped the Poncelet system working correctly, by producing a ‘rolling wave’ instead of the correct jet. It has also given a less positive feel to the shutting of the gate.
Above: Eling Tide Mill 2023
Pete Ramm, Eling Tide Mill Miller
Eling Mill floods a few times each year -usually a combination of high tide, full moon, heavy rain, low atmospheric pressure and the wind from the Northeast will see us flood. By that, I mean, that the tide will come over the boards on the lower floor, which we call the Hurst floor. This often happens in the spring or autumn. This year we have come close to flooding and have flooded through the summer months. Data I have from 40 years ago give a tidal range of 1.98 m on Neap tides to 4.08m on spring tides. As I write, I have been keeping an eye on a 5.1m tide and for the next few days we have 4.9m and 4.8 forecast. Flooding occurs around 5.2m, so the surge, due to the weather conditions, are all important.
Information
For more information see
www.elingexperience.co.uk
www.waterpowermagazine.com | October 2023 | 41
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