Mill House

Cadw's description

Location

Beside the river Gavenny just to the west of Pen-y-fal but on the west bank.

History

Documentary evidence for the mill goes back to 1707, a mortgage was taken out on it in 1778 and some of the structure may date from the C18, although the building appears to have been altered in the C19 and its character is largely of that period. It is shown as Little Mill on the 1844 Tithe Map.

Exterior

A water powered corn mill built of local sandstone rubble and whitewashed on three sides, natural slate roof. The elevation to the yard and river is two storeys and attic, partly three storeys to the right with three and four window openings in all. The ground or sack floor has two cambered headed openings and two doors with a further flat headed window, probably the blocked mullioned window to ground floor reported in the previous list description. The left hand door is the wider of the two. The features are arranged thus D : W : W : D : W. The first or stone floor has two cambered head windows and a small square one to the right; two rectangular ones to the right hand above these. Steeply pitched roof with two roof-lights to bin floor, stack to right gable. Two storeyed lean-to to left with cart doors below and arch headed window above. Rear elevation is more altered as this was where the wheel and wheel pit were, and the main entrance to the present house is into the stone floor.
Rear elevation not inspected.

Interior

The building was not available for inspection at resurvey. The previous list description records 'its original milling machinery with an unusual drive arrangement - one wheel drove the pump and the other wheel drove the corn milling machine'. The mill has been converted to domestic use since listing in 1983 and most of this machinery is said to have been removed. There is also said to be an introduced C17 staircase.

Reason for designation

Included for its special interest as an C18/C19 watermill which, despite alteration, has retained its character.