Melin Geirn and attached agricultural ranges

Cadw's description

Location

In an isolated rural location, set back from the W side of the country road between the villages of Llechcynfarwy and Carmel; located c800m NNE of the Church of St Cynfarwy.

History

C18 windmill tower, redundant by the late C19. The attached agricultural ranges were probably built in the late C18 or early C19, shortly after the tower was completed. Very little is known about the history of the mill and the Tithe Schedule and Census Returns of 1841 record the farm as being owned and managed by Michael Jones Esq. Geirn appears to have been quite a substantial farmstead of over 116 acres (46.98 hectares) and as well as Mr Jones, his wife and 2 other guests, there are also 6 servants recorded as living on the farm.

Exterior

Tall C18 windmill tower of 5 storeys. Built of mortared rubble masonry, formerly rendered. The mill has a ground floor doorway to the NW and opposing doorways to NW and SE at second floor or gallery stage. There is a further square-headed window opening at first floor level. The doorways have stone lintels and the lefthand side of the ground floor doorway is now supported by a brick built pier. To the rear (NE) of the tower, aligned NW-SE is an agricultural range, including lofted granary and threshing barn directly adjacent to the tower base; continued as lofted cowhouse range to SE and with single storey stable ranges at NW end and at right angles to rear. The ranges are built of rubble masonry with cambered brick heads to openings; heavily grouted slate roofs, threshing barn with modern profiled replacement roofing. The opposing doorways to the threshing barn are to R (SE) of the windmill tower, the lofted granary to L has a doorway to L and small window to right; first floor window between the two. The single storey stable range at L (NW) end has a doorway offset to the R end, blocked window to its L; range to rear has alternate door and window openings to L (3 doors with windows to R) and a doorway to R end with flanking windows (R hand window now blocked).

Interior

There are some remaining timbers at second floor level; the tower is now used as an animal pen. The rear (NE) wall of the tower is visible within the threshing barn, but there appears to be no internal access or drive shafts remaining.

Reason for designation

Listed as an unusual C18 windmill tower and farm building complex. The tower is one of only 18 complete towers which now remain out of over 40 which were once working on Anglesey in the mid C19. Melin Geirn is the tallest, and most complete, of a small number of domestic windmills attached to, or integrated with other farm buildings.