Water

By harnessing the power of water and also being careful what we use, the places we find special can stay beautiful for longer

The hydro turbine at Hafod y Llan farm in Snowdonia
A view down the Greenburn valley looking south east

Greenburn Hydro Project 

Providing energy from water since the 15th century, the once industrial Greenburn valley in Little Langdale is now home to the Lake District's newest hydroelectric project. Discover the site's Stone Age history and find out how it will provide green energy for years to come.

Greenburn's latest updates
The Salmon leap on Sudbury Common Lands

Turning water into a conservation win 

Our first large hydro turbine has been switched on at a Snowdonia farm and is now helping to fund our conservation work.

Our renewable energy schemes

At our places...

Plas Newydd, Anglesey, with the Menai Strait and Snowdonia seen from beneath a large sycamore tree

Plas Newydd mansion powered by sea energy 

We’ve built the UK’s largest marine source heat pump so we can use the sea to warm up a Welsh mansion. It's part of our ongoing programme to use more renewable energy.

Hydro-electric scheme on Stickle Ghyll

Stickle Ghyll 

At Stickle Ghyll in the Lake District we’re making our own electricity using a natural resource that we have plenty of – rain!

The Archimedes screw in situ at Cragside, Northumberland

Hydropower returns to Cragside 

A new Archimedes screw restores hydroelectricity to Cragside in Northumberland, the first house in the world ever to use it.

Inside the hydro turbine building on the Castle Drogo estate

Castle Drogo's hydro turbine 

A hundred years after the story first began, Castle Drogo's hydro turbine has once again roared back to life. Fed by the River Teign, the expertly restored kit now produces enough green energy to power Drogo's visitor centre.

At home...

Low water taps at Sheringham Park, Norfolk

Waste less water 

We use water everyday, without even thinking about it. We brush our teeth, boil the kettle, water plants and wash clothes. All of these little everyday tasks soon add up.

A well stocked kitchen garden at Tintinhull Garden in Somerset

How to save water in your garden 

Gardens need water to thrive, but it's not great for the environment if we waste bucket loads. This short film shows you what we're doing to save water, and gives you some tips on how you can adapt our techniques to make them work in your own garden.