History in Structure

Water Wheel House between slab mills at Felin Fawr Slate Works

A Grade II* Listed Building in Llandygai, Gwynedd

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Coordinates

Latitude: 53.1763 / 53°10'34"N

Longitude: -4.0738 / 4°4'25"W

OS Eastings: 261493

OS Northings: 366362

OS Grid: SH614663

Mapcode National: GBR 5S.3T0Q

Mapcode Global: WH54G.DF9B

Plus Code: 9C5Q5WGG+GF

Entry Name: Water Wheel House between slab mills at Felin Fawr Slate Works

Listing Date: 11 April 1990

Last Amended: 24 May 2000

Grade: II*

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 4154

Building Class: Industrial

ID on this website: 300004154

Location: Located between the slab mills at Felin Fawr Slate Works.

County: Gwynedd

Community: Llandygai (Llandygái)

Community: Llandygai

Locality: Coed-y-parc

Traditional County: Caernarfonshire

Tagged with: Building

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History

The wheel was made at the de Winton Foundry in Caernarfon and erected at the Felin Fawr Slate Works in 1846. Fed by underground pipes from Afon Galedffrwd upstream of the works, this 36 ft (10.97m) diameter water wheel powered the sawing and dressing machines in the adjoining dressing sheds. The Felin Fawr workshop complex was formerly the principal slate and slab manufacturing yard for the Penrhyn Slate Quarry, one of the most productive in Wales. The wheel house was in very poor condition at time of Survey.

Exterior

Rectangular plan building, aligned roughly north-south. Reddish brown brick laid in Flemish garden wall bond; gable-ended slate roof, collapsed at northern end, collapsing and with majority of slates missing to southern end at time of Survey. 2 surviving full-height openings with slate lintels to eastern wall; tall rectangular window (joinery gone) with slate cill and lintel in south gable end. Northern gable end collapsed.

Interior

Interior retains overshot wheel set low in a brick-lined wheelpit; wheel has cast-iron frame with only the lower wooden paddles intact. Drivegear and related machinery remain along with the ironwork header tank and panelled angle pilasters over the northern part of the wheel-pit.

Reasons for Listing

Included, notwithstanding the very poor condition of the wheel house, at II* on account of its exceptional importance in the context of the major manufacturing works for the Penrhyn Slate Quarry, one of the most important and productive slate quarries in Wales; the wheel itself is one of the finest remaining industrial water wheels in Wales.

External Links

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

Other nearby listed buildings

  • II* Western Slab Mill at Felin Fawr Slate Works
    Situated on the western side of the Felin Fawr Slate Works, which adjoin the former Penrhyn Slate Quarry Railway and the west bank of the Afon Galedffrwd.
  • II* Eastern Slab Mill at Felin Fawr Slate Works
    Located in the centre of yard at the Felin Fawr Slate Works, which adjoin the former Penrhyn Slate Quarry Railway and the west bank of the Afon Galedffrwd.
  • II Foundry at Felin Fawr Slate Works
    Located immediately to the south of the eastern slab mill at Felin Fawr Slate Works.
  • II Fitting and Repair Shop at Felin Fawr Slate Works
    A long range on the SE boundary of the site. The fitting and repair shop is the NW of 2 parallel ranges above the road to Mynydd Llandegai.
  • II Water Mill & Wheel House at Felin Fawr Slate Works
    Located on the eastern side of the yard at the Felin Fawr Slate Works, which adjoin the former Penrhyn Slate Quarry Railway and the west bank of the Afon Galedffrwd.
  • II Pont Coed-y-parc
    Carrying the minor road running south-westwards from Coed-y-parc towards Mynydd Llandygai over the course of the disused Penrhyn Quarry Railway.
  • II New Mill House
    Situated in roadside position on sharp bend of the B 4409; the house is screened from the road by a high slate slab wall with slab coping.
  • II Dam to SW of former Felin Fawr Slate Works
    The dam is the upper of two once-similar structures across the Galedffrwd, retaining a reservoir to the NW of the lane leading to Mynydd Llandegai, SW of the former slate works.

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