History

The first reference to a mill here appears in a register of the lands of the Cochwillan estate which is dated 1560 but may be a copy of an earlier manuscript. the Cochwillan and Penrhyn estates were in single ownership from about this time; later again divided, they were united once more in 1785. The Penrhyn estate appears to have directly controlled the mill as the estate corn-mill which tenants were obliged to use until at least the beginning of the C19. Later, the mill was simply rented out. When a new tenant took over the mill in 1901, it had recently been rebuilt by the estate, and this tenant (John Hughes) installed pulleys and shafting brought from Felin Coed Hywel, to assist in working its 4 sets of stones. The mill was primarily used for the preparation of animal food, but also ground oats and barley for bread. A drying kiln and winnowing machinery were used in the preparation of oatmeal. The mill closed in 1955, though was subsequently restored and run for a time by Vernon Baker.

Exterior

3-storey, long rectangular building aligned roughly north-south with single-storey range projecting at right-angles to east at north end, and added lean-to (housing corn-drying kiln) against south gable. Roughly coursed rubblestone with voussoirs to segmental-headed ground-floor openings in long walls and slate lintels elsewhere, all windows with slate cills; slate roofs. Long walls in 5 symmetrical bays with main entrance on east side through central boarded double doors with glazed panels and rectangular overlight; gated boarded door with pulley for hoist directly above; to left are 2 horizontal sliding sashes on each floor, 12-paned on first floor, 16-paned to ground, with one identically detailed window on each floor to right. To right of these is the projecting gabled range with central boarded door and large 2-light window in angle with main range on south side; integral end stack with red brick shaft. Roof of main range has 3 small 2-light 8-paned gabled dormers with miniature king-post trusses to bracketed gables alternating with 2 triangular vents; rooflight and purple brick ridge stack with rendered base to left of right dormer. West wall has same window arrangement as east except where disrupted by water wheel to south, accounting for absence of window on ground floor of southern bay and presence of small 18-paned window in 2 lights immediately above wheel; 2 triangular vents in roofslope. Wheel is of undershot type with wooden spokes and iron-rimmed wooden paddles, fed by raised slate slab-lined water channel from mill race to south. 2-storey lean-to grain drying shed on south gable end. North gable end of main range has same windows as to long walls, 2 on ground and first floors, one to second floor; boarded door under bracketed lean-to hood on left of left ground-floor window.

Interior

House occupies northern bay and single storey wing only. Mill appears to retain all its machinery substantially intact, including 4 sets of stones. Well-preserved drying kiln in lean-to addition, with slate-slab construction square-section kiln, and perforated tiled drying floor above.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a well-preserved large estate corn mill, a fine example of a rural-industrial building type, which retains good late C19 detail in its external character, and a virtually complete set of mill machinery.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29483490

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey