£1.2m to preserve hydro power plant in the Clee Hills

The Victorian structure was built between 1883 and 1885 at Titterstone Clee and has largely been hidden from the public for years as it is on private land.

But if the bid for funding is successful it would be opened up to visitors, a meeting next month will be told.

The intricately engineered reservoir and dam is linked to Clee Hill Quarry, but how it worked or what it was used for is a mystery.

The Clee Hill Partnership, which includes the Titterstone Clee Heritage Trust and the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have put together the proposal to the Heritage Lottery Fund for the whole area, including the turn-of-century quarry, railway, and wildlife on the hill.

However, ideas for what work should be carried out are still being discussed and people are being encouraged to get involved and have their say.

The 53.5m long dam is built across the deep valley of Benson's Brook, standing 7.2m above the stream bed.

Claire Fildes, development officer at Shropshire Hills AONB, said: "We would like to put a plea out to anyone who has got any photos or stories about it.

"It's unlikely anyone would remember it, but if anyone had any family members involved we'd like them to get in touch.

"There has been a suggestion it was powering the stone crushers but you would need a huge amount of power to drive them.

"Maybe it was put in and then just didn't work, or maybe it was used to power lights at the quarry."

Glynn Barrett, of Titterstone Clee Heritage Trust, said he first became aware of the structure in 2006, and it was still a real mystery:

"I expected something insignificant, but I was very surprised to find this well-engineered structure, with a pipe that runs about half a mile. But we don't know what it did when it got there.

"There's no question we've got hydro-power but there is some question over whether it's electric. It might have been driving something mechanical, which in many ways is more exciting as I've never come across anything like that before.

"We're on the cusp of doing something quite big here.

"If we get the funding we'll do a full investigation and recording of the scheme, and we might even be looking at a full re-instatement of the reservoir."

But, said Claire Fildes: "We wouldn't encourage people to go there at the moment. It's not very safe, the wall is unstable.

"Part of what we're proposing is to improve access to that and other sites, but it's all tied up with the quarry.

"If there is interest form the HLF we might be looking to do some guided walks to it next summer."

She said it would be likely to be 2015-16 for the project to come to fruition, if it got the green light.

Generating electricity from water power dates back to 1832 when French engineer Benoit Fourneyron patented a more efficient water-wheel, the same year that Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction.

But it wasn't until 50 years later that a refined turbine was put to use in the US, on the Fox River, Wisconsin, in 1882.

The Titterstone hydro scheme is known to have been in place by 1885, but may date back to the early days of the quarry in 1883, which would mean, if electric, it was one of the earliest such applications in the country.

The public meeting will be between 3.15pm and 4.30pm at Clee Hill School on November 6.

There will be displays on ideas for safeguarding Clee Hill's heritage, and at 6.30pm a series of short presentations will be given in the Recreation Rooms.

The Titterstone Clee Heritage Trust will bring along some Clee Hill artefacts, which will also be on display. Readers can also have a say on what they would like see happen in an online survey at http://www.sur veymonkey.com/s/Clee_Hill.