Former Saw Mills

Cadw's description

Location

Located in a group to the N of Home Farm at Glanusk Park. The saw mills form the S side of a yard, the N side being occupied by workshops and offices and the E side by a cart shed.

History

Late C19 saw mill (not shown on 1st edition Ordnance Survey map dated 1889).

Glanusk Park was created in 1825 by the ironmaster Sir Joseph Bailey (1783-1858), nephew of Richard Crawshay of Cyfarthfa Castle. The house, by Robert Lugar, was built between 1825 and1830 and was in Tudor Gothic style characterised by octagonal ogee turrets and pinnacles. It was demolished in 1952-54 following extensive damage caused in World War II.

Exterior

A block of 3 adjoining parallel ranges, single storey. Constructed of snecked masonry with stone dressings under slate roofs with moulded barge boards. Characterised by wide doorways under segmental arches with voussoirs, generally containing double planked doors, and tall cast iron windows with flat stone lintels and sills. The windows are 24-pane with opening lights. The N and S walls are 3-span and each gable contains an oculus with radial glazing. Below these, the arrangement of doors and windows is irregular. The gable ends of the W range each have 2 doorways. The other gable ends have a doorway and either 1 or 2 windows. The E wall has double doors to the L followed by 5 windows, a door and then 3 more windows. The W side has a roughly central boarded doorway and to the L, a very wide full-height opening with sliding corrugated iron doors, beyond which are 2 windows.

Interior

The central range is entirely open and is 12-bay with simple queen post trusses. The concrete floor contains some impressions for machine bases, and a bearing box is attached to the S end of the E wall, as evidenced by oil stains. The W wall has been partially cut away and replaced by cast iron columns and beams with brick jambs. Iron rails run E-W through the W range, facing the wide external entrance with sliding doors. (The N and S ends of the range are partitioned off by stone walls and were not entered.) The E range is divided and mainly used as workshops; the N half contains 2 rooms, at least one of which was formerly converted to an office. The S half has a N-S partition wall with a loft above.

Reason for designation

Listed as a good example of an estate saw mill.

Group value with other listed buildings within this particularly well-preserved C19 estate farm complex.