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Osbaston is a suburb of Monmouth, Wales, located less than north of the town centre. It was the site of one of the first public electricity generating stations in Britain, using water power from the River Monnow. == Monmouth forge, weir and power station == The first records of a water-powered forge for iron working on the River Monnow at Osbaston date from the 12th century, when one was owned by Baderon of Monmouth.〔( J.R.T. Schubert, ''History of the British iron and steel industry from c. 450 B.C. to A.D. 1775'', Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1957, p.85 )〕 A new forge, used for iron production, was built at Osbaston by 1628.〔S.D. Coates and D.G. Tucker, WATER-MILLS OF THE MONNOW & TROTHY & Their Tributaries. (Monmouth Museum Service 1978), 45.〕〔〔 Forge workers' cottages nearby date from the late 18th century, and include two small cottages on either side of a pair of two larger houses, for the higher status workmen.〔Newman, p.412〕 The nearby Osbaston Weir, associated with the forge, prevented salmon and other fish reaching their spawning grounds. It has been a Grade II listed building since 8 October 2005.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-85222-osbaston-weir-monmouth )〕 In 1899, Monmouth Corporation established one of the first publicly owned electricity generating stations in the country at Osbaston. The power station used water power to drive turbines. The height of the weir was raised to impound a reservoir, and the water was directed by a leat to the turbines underneath the brick building, which housed three alternators.〔( Engineering Timelines, Monmouth Forge Generating Station ). Accessed 28 March 2012〕 In 1930, the power station was bought by part of the General Electric Company, and continued to operate for another twenty years.〔〔Alan Sutton Publishing, ''Monmouth and the River Wye in Old Photographs'', Alan Sutton Publishing, 1989, ISBN 0-86299-481-0, page 75〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.civictrustwales.org/ehd/programme%202011/monmouth.html )〕 In 2008, the Environment Agency created a £600,000 fish pass so that salmon could avoid the weir and spawn upstream.〔 The following year migratory salmon were found above the fish pass, at Kentchurch.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.monmouthshiregreenweb.co.uk/Newsletter/newsletter%20archive/newsletter_winter%2009-10.html )〕 During the engineering work for the fish pass, remains of the old power station were uncovered. Landowner Ronald Kear proposed that the power station be rebuilt and, working in partnership with Environment Agency Wales, invested £500,000 in the project. The electricity scheme uses an Archimedes' screw which powers a generator. It is now operated by the Old Manor Electric Company, and produces 670 MWh of electricity each year for the National Grid, which is sufficient to power over 150 homes.〔〔 The combined hydroelectric and fish pass project was officially opened by Prince Edward in 2009.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/4638218.Gwent_man_builds_hydropower_station/ )〕 Monnow Mill, a watermill producing flour from the 15th century is situated on the outskirts of Osbaston about half a mile down stream from the power station.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/40076/collection/MONNOW+MILL%3B+QUEENS+MILLS%2C+MONMOUTH/ )〕 The building is now a private residence. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Osbaston, Monmouth」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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