Denbrook Wind Farm 10 Years On

In 2015, Kemp began work on Denbrook Wind Farm, where we played a key role during the construction of the Wind Farm near Okehampton. The site became home to ten turbines that were among the tallest in England at the time and was a significant renewable energy project for the region. Our involvement focused on setting out the critical infrastructure that made the installation possible.

Kemp’s Role on Site

Kemp’s involvement at Denbrook was led by our Survey Manager, Dave, who was responsible for guiding the setting out from start to finish. This included setting out the levels for the access roads and crane platforms, marking edges for the lime stabilisation process, and surveying the stockpiles and slopes across the site. The heavy-duty roads were essential for the delivery of turbine components and the operation of the enormous cranes required to erect them.

The project also involved setting out the crossing over a live railway line was a particularly complex part of the job that required absolute precision and careful coordination. To achieve the same accuracy across the wider earthworks, GNSS/GPS machine control was used on the graders and blades.

Challenges in the Field

If one thing defined Denbrook, it was the mud. Winter conditions made the area feel like a bog until the lime stabilisation process transformed the ground. “It’s like magic- it turns slushy mud into a hard surface overnight,” Dave recalls. The importance of layering the stabilisation correctly was a big lesson from the project, and it remains a memorable part of the work.

The weather added to the challenge. Cold, wet, and windy days often left machinery and surveyors alike stuck in the mud – sometimes literally. Dave’s trusty Land Rover Defender (notorious for its lack of heating) became a regular sight around the site, even if it occasionally needed a tow out of the red Devon soil.

Other standout moments included lime spreading in strong winds, clouds of drifting dust, and the challenge of working across the railway line.

Lasting Memories

Looking back the project, Dave reminisced how it was the people on site that stood out as much as the project itself. He reconnected with former colleagues from the A30 project in the early 1990s, turning long, muddy days into a chance to share old stories and new experiences.

Ten years on, Denbrook still stands out for its scale, its tough conditions, and its contribution to renewable energy in the South West – a project Kemp is proud to have been part of.