Not content with generating green electricity, and income for local environmental projects, the OLH team are also keen for the hydro scheme to become a platform from which to tell the story of our river. We would like local people visiting the site to learn about our community’s centuries old relationship with the Thames, and be inspired by our vision for a more sustainable future.
The proposal is to open the island up to visitors and enable them to:
- Gain direct access to the hydro scheme and experience hydro power first hand.
- Learn about water technologies, local social and industrial history and the natural ecology.
- Learn about the potential for a more sustainably powered future
- Interact with hands-on exhibits that will illustrate how locks and other water management technologies work
- Inspect historical items such as the 19th century winching mechanism taken from the recently refurbished weir
- Enjoy a new public space by the Thames footpath that has been designed and planted to encourage enhanced local biodiversity and view fish making use of the new fishpass
- Explore the river heritage of the wider locality using self-guided walks.
The project is still in early stages of development and we’ll need lots of help to plan, fundraising and implement the project. If you would like to get involved, do please contact us via the website.
You can also see the draft landscaping plans here