Llanmihangel Mill

Cadw's description

Location

Located N of the Afon Cynffig on a track which leads off Marlas Road in Pyle. Part of Llanmihangel Mill Farm.

History

On the site of a medieval grist mill which was part of a monastic grange belonging to Margam Abbey. Referred to in 1186 and 1291. On the dissolution of the monasteries, the estate was bought by Sir Rice Mansel, and Llanmihangel Mill was mentioned again in 1675. The grist mill and farmhouse were occupied in 1814 by Hopkin Llywellyn, agent for the Margam estate. The mill was rebuilt in the early C19 for grinding corn and operated until c1940.

Exterior

The 3-storey mill is built into the bank at the N end and abuts the modernised farmhouse which is at right angles to the S. Constructed of rubble sandstone, whitewashed on the E side, with a slate roof. Main range orientated N-S, with a 2-storey wing to the W. The windows are 2-light casements with segmental stone heads. The E wall has 3 small windows to the top floor and 4 to the 1st floor. That to the L is larger and contains a late C20 window. The ground floor has 1 window with plain glazing and a doorway to the L. The W wall has 1 window to the top floor and 1 to the 1st floor with a horizontal glazing bar. The W wing has a doorway with stable doors facing S into the yard and a window in the W gable. A concrete stable block adjoins the W end. Also running W off the W side of the mill is an open lean-to which faces the wing across the yard. To its L is the jamb of a blocked doorway leading into the mill. The N end of the mill has a 2-light window, while the N side of the wing has 2 blocked openings to the ground floor and a further blocked opening above and to the R.

The mill-race approaches the N end of the mill from the NE in a stone-lined channel. Unusually, it turns at right angles to enter the gable end under a segmental brick head. Water was fed to the top of the wheel at right angles to the wheel axis. The wheel is housed in a stone-arched chamber below the gable end of the mill which is open to the W, where the tailrace emerges. It is of pitchback type, of wrought and cast iron with a timber shaft, by S F Kelly of Cardigan (operated 1870-1894).

Interior

The roof is constructed of bolted A-frame trusses in machine-cut timber and is likely to be a late C19 replacement. The attic floor retains a sack hoist pulley wheel and a grain bin. The 1st floor has 3 mill stones with vats clustered around a large central timber shaft carrying the spur wheel, made of iron with wooden gearing teeth. Two small nuts drive from this. Belt drives and pulleys are fixed to the E and W walls. There is a wooden platform to the N. The top floor of the wing has a simple collar truss roof. The ground floor has a flagstone floor with wooden partitions across the N end and is said to contain the remains of a dresser.

Reason for designation

Listed grade II* as an unusually large corn mill of its date, with significant remains of its mill machinery and surviving headrace and tailrace.

Associated scheduled features (Scheduled Ancient Monument GM449).