The Severn Barrage and Archaeology

A selection of links focusing on the proposals to construct a barrage across the Severn Estuary to generate electricity, which would create the largest tidal power station in the world.

Severn Tidal Power Consultation
The government website, with information about the different tidal power options, and a range of associated research studies. The conclusion reached in October 2010 was that there was no strategic case to proceed at this time, but the option is kept open for the future.

Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Surveys
English Heritage has funded a range of these surveys which assess the threat of climate change to the coastal heritage - you'll find a set of documents associated with the Severn Estuary here.

Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey
This was carried out by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service, who provide some background information to the project here. See the English Heritage link (above) for the full set of reports.

Severn Tidal Power
The Severn Wye Energy Agency is a charitable organisation working on the development of sustainable energy. They provide a useful short summary of the tidal power proposals.

The potential for Seven barrage tidal power
A short summary of some facts and figures surrounding the barrage proposals, from Renewable Energy UK

The Severn Estuary: addressing the ecological footprint
An article in British Archaeology magazine highlighting the importance of the Severn Estuary and summarising the results of over 25 years of archaeological work in the area.

A Barrage too far?
An article by Mark Horton on the Rescue website, highlighting some of the issues the barrage presents for the archaeological heritage. Rescue is an archaeological trust whose watchword is 'save the past for the future'.

Stop the Barrage Now
A campaigning website seeking to rule out the barrage options whilst seeking alternatives. They describe themselves as a coalition of supporters including a number of organisations, and their website includes a range of brief commentaries on environment, technical and economic aspects as well as a valuable set of links to position statements by a host of organisations and other bodies.

Save Our Severn
Why the Severn Barrage should not be built. A campaigning website/blog against the proposals, though it isn't clear who the campaigners actually are ...

Severn Estuary Partnership
A useful website covering all aspects of conservation and management of the Severn Estuary, including shoreline management, special area of conservation, and, of course, the tidal power proposals.

History could be wiped out by the Severn Barrage
A newspaper article from the South Wales Argus ...