History

Late C18/early C19, indicated on 1843 Tithe map. Machinery probably post-1850. Extended c.1880. Mentioned in a lease of 1633 and possibly belonged originally to the pre-Reformation monastic grange of Hafodwen, a possession of the monastery at Strata Florida. Owned in 1843 by the Earl of Lisbourne, occupier, David Jones.

Exterior

Rubble built, slate roof. Original building was rectangular, extended to S and W in c.1880, bringing the (W) gable hard up to the road. Built into rising ground. N side with central door rising to eaves, entering building at first floor level. Divided boarded door to right (in added part), approached by stone steps. Dormer gable over doorway. W end with long roof-slope to right. Large 4-pane first floor window with timber lintel and slate sill. Two-light 12-pane casement to right with similar head and sill. Ground floor with boarded door to left, cambered brick head. Twelve-pane casement as above to centre, brick head. Boarded door to right with cambered yellow brick head. E end retains cast-iron overshot waterwheel, made by Jones, Priory Foundry, Carmarthen. Cast-concrete launder. Large window to gable with timber lintel. The wheel was powered by a leat, supplied from a pond above. This and the outlying leat system is mostly obselete. S side with added c.1880 lean-to portion occupying most of length: C20 first floor window, small 4-pane ground floor window. Open lean-to to right in angle between addition and original portion. Old fabric has 6-pane window to first floor.

Interior

Most of the machinery is intact: it is of the primitve pre spur-wheel "Vitruvian" Type, where the pit wheel drives the single stone nut directly. Iron pit-wheel with wooden teeth. Cast-iron stone nut with cast-on lugs to allow it to be lifted out of gear by a (missing) windlass under the hurst. Chains of oat-sieve survive. Horse-frame and hopper: single pair of stones. Large worn detached grindstone to first floor. The late C19 extensions provided a drying-room to the W. Rubble kiln-opening with primitive part-loft above.

Deteriorating in parts, especially on W side (January 1996).

Reasons for Listing

Listed Grade II * for its exceptional historic interest as a rare survival of a "Vitruvian" mill in SW Wales with the primitive machinery largely intact. Most of the known examples in Cardiganshire are ruined or altered.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q17743960

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)