'For nearly 600 years the Mill
and Engine House used the power of the River Avon to grind
grain. A century ago that same 'hydro' power was harnessed
by the Castle's engine house to generate electricity for
the household. Now the Mill and Engine House has been
carefully restored so you can see how electricity arrived
at the Castle in 1900 and how the Castle shot to the
forefront of Victorian technology. Discover how the
development of electricity excited the Castle and changed
the life of those above and below stairs.
The Earl
and Countess of Warwick were great innovators of their
time and wanted the prestige and luxury that the
installation of generating equipment would bring. In 1894
the generating plant was installed in the Mill and Engine
House and the Castle was wired up. In December 1894 the
work was completed and 475 bulbs were lit to the delight
of Countess Daisy as it coincided with her birthday. By
modern standards the lights would not have been very
bright but those who saw them thought them wonderful!
In the
Mill and Engine House you can also find out about the
responsibility of the Mill Engineer and how day after day,
year after year he tended the generating system and kept
it running. See into the Mill Engineer's office and
discover how the generating system was maintained to
ensure the supply of electricity to the Castle was
constant. So much of the original generating system has
been successfully repaired and replaced that the Mill and
Engine House can now generate enough electricity to keep
the attraction running.'
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