Earlstoun Dam, Galloway Hydroelectric Power Scheme is a Grade B listed building in the Dumfries and Galloway local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 11 February 2011. Dam. 1 related planning application.
Earlstoun Dam, Galloway Hydroelectric Power Scheme
- WRENN ID
- strange-bracket-gorse
- Grade
- B
- Local Planning Authority
- Dumfries and Galloway
- Constituency
- Dumfries and Galloway MP: John Cooper (Con)
- Country
- Scotland
- Date first listed
- 11 February 2011
- Type
- Dam
- OS grid reference
- NX 614 824
- Coordinates
- 55.11688, -4.174
- Source
- Historic Environment Scotland listing
Description
Earlstoun Dam, part of the Galloway Hydroelectric Power Scheme, was designed by consulting engineer Sir Alexander Gibb and electrical engineers Merz and McLellan in 1936. The dam has a roughly U-shaped plan and consists of two distinct structural sections: one is an arch type and the other is a gravity type. It is constructed from reinforced concrete and features a continuous concrete parapet along the walkway.
To the left (west) is a fixed spillway with a roadway above, supported by narrow profile piers, with a deeper pier on the far left that forms a gateway to the walkway. In front of the spillway is a concrete wave-wall that sweeps around to the outflow from roller gates located at the center of the spillway section. Above the gates is a tower on the walkway that has shouldered arched openings and winding gear at the top.
On the right (east) side, there is an arched section with a small tower at the center, which has a valve-house directly beneath it at the base of the dam. This tower is supported by paired corbels that flank narrow round arched openings, with an additional corbel at the center supporting an advanced window panel that features a single round arched window in the middle.
Local climate
Earlstoun Dam, Galloway Hydroelectric Power Scheme sits in one of the wettest parts of the UK, with an average of 1,460 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 98% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 91% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 50 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 91% of listed buildings. Of these, 28 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 1 application
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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