Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
16797
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
29/02/1996
Date of Amendment
29/02/1996
Name of Property
Powis Estate Sawmill with cast-iron launder
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Powys
Community
Welshpool
Town
Locality
Powis Estate Timberyard
Easting
322162
Northing
305859
Street Side
Location
Alongside the road 1.6km approx. S of Welshpool.
Description
Broad Class
Industrial
Period
History
The saw-mill was probably built c1820-1830, and was water-powered from a stream taken under the Montgomeryshire Canal by an inverted syphon, and from the canal itself. The cast-iron feed trough was installed in 1844, made by R & W Jones of Ruabon. The mill was re-equipped in the 1890's, and the present horizontal saw was installed at that time (supplied by Robinson's of Rochdale): in order to accommodate it, the mill was extended with a short wing on the S side. Water-power continued to be used at the mill until 1949, when electrical power was introduced.
Exterior
Thin-coursed local sandstone rubble, with slate roof. 3 storeyed (including basement stgorey), 6-window range, aligned at right-angles to the boundary wall. Basement storey entrance towards left in N elevation. Small-paned iron windows with cambered heads throughout. Wide gable-end entrance with wide double doors and loading door over, in heavy wood frames and separated a chamfered lintel. Overshot water wheel (cast-iron and wood) on S side, fed via a cast-iron launder enriched with cast figures of animals, pelple, etc. Gabled wing projects from S side, added to house the horizontal saw installed c1890.
Interior
Although remnants of the original power system (a pit-wheel drive) survive, most of the basement water-power machinery dates from the 1890's re-equipping: two toothed wheels transferred power onto the main belt-drive-shaft with a chain. Late C19 machinery surviving in the upper floors of the mill includes a large horizontal saw with log wagon, and a circular saw-bench.
Reason for designation
A remarkably complete - and very rare - survival of a working C19 saw-mill.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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