Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon, known as Gilkes, is an English

hydropower Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, ...

engineering company based in

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

, Cumbria, founded in 1853. The company makes hydropower

turbine A turbine ( or ) (from the Greek , ''tyrbē'', or Latin ''turbo'', meaning vortex) is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work. The work produced can be used for generating electrical ...

s and engine cooling

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes Slurry, slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic or pneumatic energy. Mechanical pumps serve in a wide range of application ...

s. One of the company's notable products is the Turgo turbine, invented in 1919 by Eric Crewdson whose grandson Charles Crewdson

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

is, the company chairman.

History

In 1853 two brothers named Williamson established a company at Canal Head,

. The first turbine they built in 1856 was installed at Holmescales Farm at

Old Hutton Old Hutton is a village in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England. It is in the civil parish of Old Hutton and Holmescales In the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census the parish had a population of 357, increasing at the United Kingdom ...

and powered farm machinery there for more than a century. This, the "Williamson Bros Vortex Turbine No. 1", survives and is in the collection of Lakeland Arts; it was part of the Museum of Lakeland Life & Industry in Kendal, closed during redevelopment of Abbot Hall. In 1881 Gilbert Gilkes (1845-1924) bought Williamson Brothers, and remained the company chairman until 1920, when he was succeeded by his nephew, Norman Forster Wilson (born 1869). In 1932 the company acquired James Gordon & Co, and became Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon. Portwood mills water turbine 6617

Gilkes Energy was formed as a subsidiary in 2010 and works in

project development Project management is the process of supervising the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process ...

Recognition

The company holds a Royal warrant as "Water Turbine Engineers" to

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

. In 2010 the company was awarded The Queen's Award for Enterprise: International Trade (Export).

References

External links

* * Companies based in Cumbria Kendal Engineering companies of England Manufacturing companies established in 1853 British companies established in 1853 Water turbine manufacturers {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert Gilkes and Gordon