Felin-hafodwen

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on E side of by-road, some 0.5km SW of Cribyn.

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).

Reason for designation

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.