Laxey - the world's largest water mill
Laxey - the world's largest water mill

Video: Laxey - the world's largest water mill

Video: Laxey - the world's largest water mill
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The world's largest water mill in Laxey Village
The world's largest water mill in Laxey Village

Water mills - one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind. True, finding them in modern life is not an easy task, more often "mini-mills" are used for decorative purposes than for their intended purpose. However, today we will tell you about the world's largest working water wheel, which is located in the village. Laxey on one of the tiny islands in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. The dimensions of the structure are impressive: 22 m in diameter and 1.83 m in width.

The water mill was built in 1854
The water mill was built in 1854

The creator of the giant wheel - Robert Casement, in 1854 he created this masterpiece of engineering. The mill was given a romantic name - "Lady Isabella" in honor of the wife of the then Governor General Charles Hope. The wheel immediately became one of the most famous local attractions and has been popular with tourists for a century and a half.

Watermill designed by self-taught engineer Robert Casement
Watermill designed by self-taught engineer Robert Casement

In the early 19th century, deposits of lead, zinc and other metals were discovered in the village of Laxey, but mining was hampered by groundwater. To pump out water, pumps with steam engines were required. Since there was no coal on the island either, but water was abundant, the idea of creating a hydraulic structure was born.

Waterwheel diameter - 22 m, width - 1.83 m
Waterwheel diameter - 22 m, width - 1.83 m

Self-taught engineer Robert Casement was tasked with solving this daunting task. He built a system of canals through which water from local mountain streams was collected and fed across the bridge to the wheel. The pumping station was set in motion by the energy generated by the water mill. The wheel was running at three revolutions per minute, enough to lift groundwater from a depth of 1,500 meters to the surface, producing approximately 250 gallons per minute.

The world's largest water mill in Laxey Village
The world's largest water mill in Laxey Village

Today, the wheel is no longer pumped out of groundwater, but it is still being launched to entertain travelers who want to see this spectacular spectacle.

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