Melin-y-grug Mill

Melin-y-grug Mill is a late 18th or early 19th century mill, possibly on the site of an earlier mill that served as the centre of the small settlement of Melin-y-grûg. It sits within a complex of farm buildings to the north of the stream, Nant Melin-y-Grûg. A triangular mill pond is located to the north, retained by masonry structures, while a tail race and leats are visible to the southeast.

The mill is a two-storey, two-bay rectangular building, constructed primarily of random rubble masonry, except for the west front, which was partially rebuilt in red brick in a Flemish bond pattern. The roof is slate-covered. A lean-to structure on the west end has now ruined. A wheel pit and associated structures are located to the east. Two square-headed door openings, one at each end of the front, are topped with wooden lintels; the west doorway is a later addition, and no doors currently remain. A ground-floor window opening, set under a segmental brick arch, is present on the west side. Upper-storey windows are square-headed, with a two-light casement in the east opening lacking glazing. A small window with wooden shutters is present on the first storey at the east end. A small opening in the east gable, below ridge level, may have served as a support for shafting from the wheel pit area.

Inside, timber partitions separate the bays and timber steps lead up to the first floor. The interior features a central king-post and collar beam truss, with the tie beam cut for two doorways. Two pairs of grinding wheels are located on the first floor at the east end; one pair of millstone grit and the other likely of French quartzite. The stones are enclosed with hoppers above. Ground-floor shutes are present near the stairs for ground cereals. Below the stones on the ground floor are vertical drives linked to the water wheel. Later use for electricity generation complicated the arrangement. Belt drives are supported on concrete blocks, with much belting remaining. A possible direct connection existed between the water wheel and the central (quartzite) stones, while belt drives linked it to the shafting of the millstone grit stones. A stone partition at the east end separates the shafting and drives from the main area of the mill at ground-floor level only. An enclosed Pelton wheel, about 1.5 metres across, is located to the east of the building, with two jets and their valves visible pointing towards the wheel. A dynamo, manufactured by Electric Construction Co. Ltd. of Wolverhampton, with a rating of 13 amps, is present, along with a ball and planet governor. Access to the wheel and shafting is difficult.

The mill is listed for its exceptionally well-preserved mill machinery and its group value with the nearby Melin-y-grûg farmhouse.