CPAT Regional Sites & Monuments Record

PRN 26679 - Tafolwern Mill

Former corn mill now much altered (Houghton-Browne, A 1977).

Mill now converted into cottage (Llys Ywen) and there are no remains of the mill works (Owen, W G 1996d, 5).

This mill drew its water from a weir on the Rhiwsaeson just below the Pont y Cock in Llanbryn-mair village but the mill itself was by Bont Fach in Tafolwern and across the river from the Domen Fawr, supposed to be the ancient seat of Owen Cyfeiliog (R. Williams, Montgomeryshire Collections 19 (1886), 103). It was first recorded in a grant to the Earl of Leicester in 1572/73 when it was already described as 'an old mill' (Land Rev. Rolls, N.W. vol. iii, fo. 207, quoted in W.V. Lloyd, Montgomeryshire Collections 3 (1870), 154). The same description occurs in documents dated from 1628 to 1630 (NLW, Powis Castle 11363, 11410, 12226) but by 1763 the property had come into the possession of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn. His tenant, Matthew Miles, paid £6 10s annual rent and the mill was described as 'built with timber and slate cover, has only one set of stones but always water and is well-accustomed' (NLW, Wynnstay Cyfeiliog Survey 1763, map vol. 1). The miller in 1774 was John Breese and in 1884 was Rufus Owen (R. Williams, Montgomeryshire Collections 19 (1886), 109). Field-names nearby include Mill Croft and Mill Bank. The mill was demolished before 1968 and is remembered today only by the name 'Felin' and a number of small burr stones lying about outside the cottages of Tafolwern.(Barton P.G,1999,54).

Sources:-
Barton, P G , 1997 , ,
Barton, P G , 1999 , "A history and conspectus of Montgomeryshire water corn mills ", The Montgomeryshire Collections 87 , 54 .
Houghton-Browne, A list , 1977 , ,
Jones, D H , 1968 , Watermills in Montgomeryshire ,
Owen, W G , 1996 , Llandinam-Llanwrin Pipeline - Stage 2: archaeological assessment , CPAT report 202 October 1996 .

record created 31/12/96 , last updated 16/08/00
The above data are supplied by CPAT in partnership with its Local Authorities and the partners of END, © CPAT SMR partnership, 2003 (and in part © Crown, 2003)

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Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, Curatorial Section, 7a Church Street, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7DL.
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