Yelland is a village of 2,000 inhabitants situated in North Devon between Instow and Fremington in the English county of Devon. Yelland is included within the parish of Fremington.
Near Lower Yelland Farm is a Bronze Agemegalithic site consisting of a double stone row. They are unusual in being sited at the river's edge rather than on higher moorland. Since its construction, thousands of years ago, the site has been smothered by silt from the widening of the River Taw. The stones are no longer visible.
Walking trails
Visitors to Yelland and the surrounding area enjoy the views and scenic paths for walking. The Tarka Trail and South West Coast Path are easily accessible from the Yelland Power Station Road. Also Lower Yelland Nature Reserve. Bake and Brew a must visit.
The East Yelland Power Station was once an operational coal-fired electricity production plant located in a partially hidden area on the estuary, next to the Tarka Trail. The power station was one of only two located to the west of Hinkley Point. The power station was sanctioned in September 1949, and an extension approved in June 1950. The first generating set was commissioned in July 1953 and subsequent sets in November 1953, September 1954, October 1956, December 1956, and October 1957. The power station was formally opened on 21 April 1955 by Lord Fortescue. The station had a net capability to deliver 170 MW of electricity from six Parsons 31 MW turbo-alternators. There was also a 225 kW diesel engine house service set. The Thompson radiant heat steam boilers were fired by twin chain grate stokers could deliver 253 kg/s of steam at 42.7 bar and 468 °C. Cooling water to condense steam in the plant was drawn from the river estuary. The generating capacity and output was:
Year
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1961
1962
1963
1972
1979
1981
1982
Capacity MW
56
85
85
143
176
186
204
204
194
180
180
170
Output GWh
128.47
361.57
392.61
511.57
653.86
498
541.3
658.7
510.76
74.8
3.1
14.54
In the year ending 31 March 1981 the station delivered just 0.2 per cent of its capability. In March 1984, it was announced by the Central Electricity Generating Board that the power station would close by the end of October that year. Fuel for the power station was obtained from coal mines in South Wales, and was transported across the Bristol Channel onto a jetty specially constructed for the power station. However, due to the closure of the coal mines in the 1980s, coal would be more expensive to obtain from other areas of the country. Therefore, it was more economical to close the power station. Today, most of the power station, which covered an area of 3.1ha, has been demolished.
