View Fullabrook Down Wind Farm in a larger map

A walk around the northern part of the
Fullabrook Down Wind Power Station


March 20th and March 23rd 2011


Entrance to wind farm
This is the entrance to the site from the North, at Burland Cross. Before the work started, there was a hedge here, with  a field behind it that sloped down to the West.  I am not sure at present whether this will be a permanent site entrance.
Gateway
This photograph was taken as we entered Burland Lane. You can see the rubble stacked up behind the gate.  Turbine 17 will be in the field beyond here.  If you zoom out on the map above you can see the lie of the land and understand something more about the views towards the North Devon Coast.
viiew across hillside towards coast
This is the view across the field that led down towards the little hamlet of Fullabrook. It was part of a very beautiful walk, with views towards the North Devon coast, (see previous mention, above)and it was especially beautiful at sunset.
Anenometer
Here is a view towards a distant anemometer, on the hills above Marwood (I think) Unfortunately these photographs are rather dark, the visibility wasn't too good when they were taken, but became better as we walked on.


Opening across Burland Lane
This is where the developers have opened up the sides of the lane, and made a crossing,

A short video taken at this crossing, on the 23rd March

Turbine site
 The view from up on the bank of the lane, looking down at one of the turbine sites.. I believe the turbine base is somewhere within these mounds of earth.
Several of the turbine sites on either side of the lane, and along roads and footpaths are near enough to make ice throw a concern in cold winter weather. 
close up
A closer look at the same place.  Ice can be thrown up to at least 140 metres and in Canada people are warned to stay at least 305m away from turbines when it is icy.  Ice thrown from a spinning turbine blade is very dangerous.  Go to the Caithness Wind Farm Information website for more details. And see this video of ice on a turbine. And this one.  And of course there are turbine fires as well.

Anenometer
Another anemometer, on the right side of Burland Lane (when going down to the South).
looking towards Dartmoor
Another look at the roads and excavations, in better light.  Maybe that is Dartmoor in the distance.
Here is a link to an article by Kate Helyer about the construction work, and the amount of concrete being used for each turbine base: "56 truckloads of concrete for each base – 1,232 truckloads in all."
Yes, the roads may be grassed over afterwards, on top, but the hills will never be the same again, as they will never remove all the concrete. 


March 23rd - Burland Lane




Burland Lane
On a sunnier evening,. looking over a bank on the southern part Burland Lane
Burland Lane
At the entrance to Burland lane, showing the "road" on the right of the lane. A similar "road" has been built on the other side of the lane.

March 23rd - between Beara and Halsinger


Bera Cross
Construction  - I think this was near the site of Turbine No 10.  Many of these turbines are close to roads and footpaths. Turbine blades can be thrown a considerable distance, as can ice from the blades.
Near Beara
This is probably Turbine 6, which is situated between Halsinger and Beara.  Many of these turbines are far closer to houses than the recommended distance.

Heavy vehicles passing by near the site of Turbine 6.  This was filmed from outside the gate, by the road.  As you can see from this and the previous photograph, Turbine 6 - and many others - will be close to the road. If you go the Caithness Wind Farm Information Forum and look at their Accident Statistics, you can  see that pieces of blade have travelled over 1300 metres and gone through roofs and walls of buildings.   See this video as well.

Damaged road
Here you can see damage caused to a country road by heavy Construction vehicles crossing over it.
The CWIF site also mentions other European countries having a minimum distance of at least 2km between turbines and house. Up on these hills there are about  26 houses within 600m, about 50 within 750m and about 75 houses within 1km (Inspector's Report).  If you zoom in again on the Satellite map you can see many of these houses.
Marwood School is also close to a turbine.  If you zoom in on the approximate position of Turbine 22 you can see the School's position.
(When we have an exact position for this Turbine we will be able to measure the distance.)

Orchid bank
This is a bank where orchids bloom in spring. It had been covered in rubble.
On the hill overlooking Beara
This I think is close to the site of Turbine 4, which is on the ridge line overlooking the small hamlet of Beara.
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