Llwydiarth Saw Mill

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in Dyfnant Forest and reached by a forest road along the valley of Afon Vyrnwy between Abertridwr and Llwydiarth. On low ground to S of Bont Canol over river, embanked mill race to rear.

History

An estate sawmill on the Wynnstay Estate. It appears for the first time on the 1885 Ordnance Survey,
and again about 3m lengthened on the map of 1900. There is a date of 1871 on the turbine but this has
been deemed misleading. A north wing was added post-1900, but no longer survives.

The building was disused as a sawmill in the early 1930s but seems to have remained for other uses
during the Second World War. A Pelton wheel is said to have been used in the 1950 to drive a chaff
cutter for making bracken compost. It has since deteriorated considerably.

Efforts were made in the late 1980s to restore and preserve the sawmill. At this time it was noted that the
frame with its sawblades was intact.

Exterior

A two-storey timber-framed mostly weather-boarded structure with slate roof, ranging east/west, but with
a quasi-axe-dressed stone ground storey to the front (north) with boarded openings. About half of the
front is weatherboarded, the other half clad in corrugated iron. The roof is badly decayed at the west
end. Later north and south wings removed.

There is a small two-light window toward the front in the east gable end. Larger opening in the west gable
end, where the weatherboarding of the gable is only vestigially present. The south wall (not re-inspected
in 2002) is said to consist of two storeys of stonework with timber lintels and strappings to blocked
openings.

A timber turbine-house at the south-east corner (now collapsed) was reported in 1986 to have its turbine
by Gilbert and Gilkes (numbered 1871 and purchased 1907) still in place.

Interior

Not inspected at time of resurvey, but said to retain an industrial-style king-post roof and fine timber
floor (propped) with massive longitudinal timbers flanking the saw-pit. Fine timber-frame to rare
vertical frame saw still in place. Drive shafts from turbine house and pulley mechanism for frame-saw on
lower floor.

Reason for designation

An unusually complete example of a C19 timber-framed and weatherboarded estate sawmill believed to
retain most of its machinery.