Nant Mill

Cadw's description

Location

To the north side of Gronant Road, about 50 m west of the junction with Nant Drive. Set into the slope with a large millpond to the south.

History

A mill here is shown on a C16 map of Nant, but the property gains its present form from an enlargement or rebuild in the early C19. There is said to be an internal date of 1823. The buildings comprised a corn mill and a brewery together with domestic accommodation. In 1839 the property was noted as William Dawson's mill and pool and John Dawson's malt kiln.

The earliest part is that to the west of the wheel pit, the front elevation of which has two main storeys and two windows, but there are also attic windows in the west gable (blocked). The original miller's house to the west of this is set back from the front of the mill, and was later extended further west. An industrial range was added to the east, doubling the length of the main range and including an arch over the tailrace position. Further east of this is a late C19 domestic range (painted white).

In the mid C19 the millpond was reinforced when it started to be used for supplying water for railway locomotives.

Exterior

A large stone-built mill extended to include malting and brewing. The building faces north with its rear to the millpond dam. Axe dressed local stone with roof of small slates. Semicircular archway right of centre where the original structure (to right) terminates, and where the water wheel was situated, with a gap in the walling above of about 1m width filled with boarding above a first-floor door. Small window openings, in three storeys to left and two storeys to right, retaining window frames only. Two attic windows in right gable boarded up. The openings to ground and first floors have cambered voussoir heads. Stable-type doors.

At left is the narrower whitewashed two-storey, three-bay house with slate roof at same eaves height; modern windows and two red brick chimneys. Door and porch to left, door to right.

Set back at the right is the original miller's house in roughly coursed local axe-dressed masonry; three window above and two below, all with four-paned horned sash windows; door at left. Addition bay at right. Slate roof.

Interior

The interior was not inspected at time of resurvey, but retains a significant amount of in-situ mill machinery, unusual in having 'over-driven' gearing which was typical of windmills but very rare in watermills. The off-centre wheel-pit formerly contained a large overshot water-wheel. The corn mill is said to contain three pairs of stones and the brewery one pair. The drive is by a crown spur wheel on a timber shaft with secondary drives.

Stairs, dated 1823, to bin-floor with hopper down to stone floor. Corn-mill to west has a king-post roof which has been described as including a reused sailing-ship yard; trusses resting on stepped wallheads; lightly stop-chamfered beams. Former gable end has splayed recess. Passage created at 1st floor level along front of wheelpit.

Reason for designation

Listed as a substantial and historic watermill retaining unusual machinery.