History

According to the Extent of Anglesey, 1352, there was a small mill located on the site of Melyn Hywel; named after the miller Hywel ap Rhys. A free mill, it was one of over 60 mills recorded on the island at that time. The present mill building was built in C18 and by early C18 the mill was owned by the renowned Williams family of Anglesey millers, and was passed down from father to son for generations; the family lived at the nearby Selar farm. The mill was extended in 1850, at a cost of £300, by the addition of the 'upstream' block. The waterwheel was also enlarged (from 12' to 14' [2.74m to 4.27m]) and strengthened, by the Caernarfon Foundry who also produced extra gears and machinery; and another set of stones added to the existing 3 pairs. In 1975 some restoration work was carried out and in 1985 the mill was comprehensively repaired and restored and awarded a conservation award by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Melyn Hywel is the only working watermill on Anglesey.

Exterior

Three storey water-powered corn mill, with mill race alongside fed by the Afon Alaw. The mill comprises 3 main blocks: in the centre is the main mill, with an added cartshed-granary to the R (S), and a store to the L (N). Built of rubble masonry, openings with slate sills and stone or timber lintels. Modern slate roof with stone copings. The entrance elevation faces the road to the W.
The gabled central 'milling' block has a doorway offset to the R (S) with small window of 3-lights to the R and larger window to the L with window over; a larger 16-pane casement is central beneath the gable apex, offset to the L of the door. To the rear is the 14' (4.27m) overshot waterwheel. There are centrally placed first floor windows in each of the return elevations; the S return with another window to R (E) set into larger, partially blocked, opening; the N return with doorway offset to R (W) and small window to its L.
The N block is set at a right angle to the main block; 2 wide cart bays at ground floor level, each with large timber lintel and first floor window above the centre of each. Rubblestone steps leads to the loft doorway in the S gable and there is a single first floor window to the rear.
The S block is also set at right angles to the main block, with a first floor doorway to the R (S) within a porch created by the addition of a lean-to slate roof between a rubblestone wall and pillar. The ground level falls away to the L (N) with small ground and first floor windows to L of the doorway. The rear elevation also has small ground and first floor windows, towards the centre of the range, and the gable has a first floor window offset to the R (W) and a single window set in the gable apex.

Interior

The interior retains the refurbished machinery and millstones as well as hoppers, sackhoists and other meal processing equipment. The roof has been restored but retains some old timbers and pegged, collared trusses.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a good C18 water powered cornmill which has immense vernacular character and is of particular importance as it represents an example of a rapidly disappearing building type once common in the rural landscape. Melyn Hywel is the only working watermill remaining on Anglesey.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Melin Hywel at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q109058021 Q17742795

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)