New Page 1

The Kentish flats wind farm is one of the ways in which mankind is striving to develop environment-friendly and renewable sources of energy. It is also the biggest ever man made addition to our coastal scenery and one that seems to be gaining both acceptance and curiosity since it came into commercial operation in December 2005.

Peter Dalrymple's aerial photo below shows 11 of the 30 wind turbines set against the distant shipping lanes of the Thames estuary and coastline of Essex. The term 'Kentish Flats' is not a new one. It refers to an area of water bordering our shoreline. This is shallow and has a silt/mud sea bed.

Peter's picture also shows the Shivering Sands army forts as a collection of black spots in the estuary. This gives us a clue as to the size and location of the development.

The best local 'viewing platform' is provided by Tankerton Slopes. From the junction at Marine Parade/St Anne's Road, the wind farm appears away to the right (North East) in front of the towers of THE Shivering Sands fort....

The wind farm location and fame is actually shared with our neighbouring town of Herne Bay as shown in the rough map below...

In fact, the proximity to Herne Bay is illustrated in our next photo. This shows the alignment of some of the turbines with the remains of Herne Bay pier....

Fittingly, the stretch of coast closest to the farm lies between the two towns.... at Long Rock (Swalecliffe). Here, the nearest turbine is just over 5 miles away.

The wind farm development comprises a grid of 5 rows arranged in an East-West direction. Each row contains six turbines but the lines are slightly offset - creating an overall parallelogram rather than a rectangle. The south west corner of the farm points towards Tankerton Slopes via another well known local feature - The Spaniard Buoy (as shown on the map above). As turbines and rows are set at 700 metre intervals, the whole system covers quite an expanse.

However, "close in" does have its advantages.... because it shows the sheer scale of the structures. Compare the overall height of the pylon with the catwalk that circles the lower (ie yellow) section.

In fact the height from sea level to the hub (at the centre of the blades) is around 70 metres. Obviously, this varies according to the height of the tide.

That catwalk allows for routine maintenance work and a hoist is provided to take on equipment and parts..

It's not just the height of the pylon that is impressive. Each blade is in the region of 45 metres in length. Thus, my mathematics suggests that the overall structure extends to some 115 metres above the water when a blade reaches a vertical position above the hub.

It's amazing to think of the advances in 'windmill' technology.

I am sure that the sheer elegance of the blades will inspire a few photographers and artists in the years to come (see below).

However, for those with more technical interests, the photo on the left will probably prove just as fascinating.

Amongst other things, that small box contains a gearbox, dynamo and control device.

The turbines are linked to the shore by underground cables. These extend to a substation alongside the Thanet Way close to the Share & Coulter public house.

The wind farm has already become a fascinating element of our sea views and, hopefully, it will also become a viable legacy for future generations in their struggle to create a cleaner planet. However, for the time being, it provides a fascinating glimpse of what might be with scenes such as these.....

It also provides a glimpse of what has been because it resurrects an idea that our ancient ancestors implemented and even took for granted centuries ago. That is..... the harnessing of wind power! Obviously, they wouldn't have known about its ability to generate electricity or even that electricity existed at all. However, they did use it for a variety of different reasons .... albeit with far less sophistication.

You can read about the town's use of windmills by reading Brian Smith's article, The Windmills of Whitstable. (Click here). It contains a few surprises.... including local windmills that have long since been lost in the mists of time.

More detailed information can be obtained from the Kentish Flats Wind Farm site at...

Peter Dalrymple's photos show scenes from both air and sea. However, there are other views from all over the town and they can cause a bit of head scratching as height, distance and perspective play tricks on the eyes. For a lighthearted look (but photos of less admirable quality), consult our 'Windmills on My Mind' article (click here).