Union Road was closed to traffic as the large crane gently lowered the 11 m long and 2.6m wide hydrodynamic screw, which had travelled overland from the Ritz-Atro plant in Germany into place.

Steve Welsh, MD Water Power Enterprises (H2oPE), who initiated the project and is managing it on behalf of Torrs Hydro New Mills Ltd said: "We estimate that about 300 people went down into the Torrs to watch the lifting of the screw over the Union Road Bridge parapet.

"The delivery was three hours late, but fortunately, we had a lovely sunny day. Many thanks to everyone for their patience!"

The screw – a modernised version of a 2,000-year-old invention, the Archimedean screw - will be used to generate 260,000kWh of green, renewable electricity every year, enough to power around to 70 homes.

Mr Welsh said: "It's taken a lot of hard work and commitment from the founding directors of THNM, New Mills Town Council, The Peak District National Park, The Coop Group, East Midlands Development Agency and all the people who bought shares to get where we are today, but it just shows what can be done."