Workman's Hut

Cadw's description

Location

On W side of Cilcewydd Mill and E of railway line, between Mill race and River Severn.

History

Probably 1860s and erected in conjunction with Cilcewydd Mill. The building appears to have been used by workmen maintaining the watercourses and was reached by path from the mill.

The main corn mill for the Leighton Estate; John Naylor, a Liverpool banker, had aquired the Leighton Estate in 1846-47 and embarked on an ambitious programme of building, notably Leighton Hall, church and Leighton Farm. The Estate was extended and improved until Naylor's death in 1889, becoming a remarkable example of high-Victorian estate development. The mill was was built for John Naylor in 2 phases, 1862 and 1868.

Exterior

One storey, of brick with tooled stone dressings and quoins and overhanging slate roof. On E side is a doorway under stone lintel. The N and S walls have a round-headed window with small-pane, iron-frame glazing and with stone imposts and keys.

Interior

Tile floor. There are several iron bars spanning E and W walls at head height.

Reason for designation

The Leighton Estate is an exceptional example of high-Victorian estate development. It is remarkable for the size and ambition of its conception and planning, the consistency of its design, the extent of its survival, and is the most complete example of its type in Wales. The workmen's hut is a small but nonetheless important building which contributes to the completeness of the buildings at Cilcewydd Mill, an important industrial site at the heart of the economic development of the estate.