1880

 

II*  

Designated  

25/05/1962  

31/03/1999  

Gelli-groes Mill  

 

Caerphilly  

Pontllanfraith  

 

Gelli-groes  

317791  

194715  

 

Reached by a side road running SE from Newport Road (A4048); the Mill faces the Sirhowy River and the bridge and is within a grassy enclosure which retains sluices, channelled millrace and tail race, grinding stones and other machinery.  

Industrial  

 

Probably early C17 in origin; the cross wing formerly contained a drying kiln; early photograph shows a tall chimney at the angle between the two wings on the river side. Aneurin Jones, mentor of poet Islwyn, is recorded as owner in mid C19. As mining developed and farming diminished in importance, additional uses were found for the premises. In 1874 new owners, the Moore family, became suppliers of seed and animal feed to smallholders. Original machinery replaced c 1900. In the early 1900s the Mill installed generators to charge batteries; people came to have their radio batteries charged, and also repaired. Artie Moore, born in the Mill House, was a radio enthusiast and in 1912 picked up the distress call of the Titanic, and also later heard Italy's Declaration of War. Many experiments were made from the mill with radio transmitters. A scheme by the family to install a turbine to supply the Sirhowy Valley with power failed; Artie Moore died 1949; mill continued in use, and supplying seed, pet food, and bike repair service, until it closed; RCAHMW reports it in frequent use in 1974. Restored 1992. When fully operational the mill contained 2 pairs of rotating stones to grind barley and wheat, one of French Burr stone from the Paris region and the other from Penalt in the Wye Valley. At one stage a Pelton wheel was installed at Gelli-groes; named after the inventor Lester Pelton it was meant to increase productivity by working at high speed but there was insufficient head of water and the experiment failed.  

A T-shaped former corn mill, the overshot waterwheel attached to the E side, the mill-race running SE to the river. Of whitened rubble with stone tile roof and sprocketed eaves. 2 storeys. At first floor gable end facing road the small light has a hood; Victorian letterbox inserted into wall below. Blocked wide cambered arched opening with inserted smaller doorway to right adjacent. Upstream frontage has casement window at first floor level, large splayed central buttress, altered opening under wide lintel low to right; to left is the restored millrace at higher level with steps up to doorway at first floor level. Gable end facing river has 3 small windows with sills, ends of 4 tie beams above, and below the opening for the mill wheel with casting date 1992; this is iron-framed with wooden buckets. The lower attached wing with a steeper pitched roof has a wide buttress beside the doorway, triangular ventilators and blocked opening in the gable end, inserted or enlarged window on river side; quern stones displayed at front.  

Interior retains at stepped first floor level a complete set of machinery, together with displayed tools and materials relating both to milling and to the history of Gelli-groes Mill and the surrounding area. Ground floor, a further display area with machinery in situ, retains flag floor and the very heavy beams for the ceiling. Roof structure is renewed. RCAHMW description of machinery in 1975: ' overshot wheel drives (via a cast-iron shaft) a 12' diam pit wheel, which meshes with an 18" cog driving an axial shaft. This carries a pulley with a belt-drive and two 6' bevel-wheels, each of which drives a stone-nut. The belt from the lower shaft drives a second axial layshaft, from which was taken power for flour-dressing machines (only one remains) and the sack-hoist....The sluices to the leat and launder are controlled from this floor'.  

Listed II* as a mill which has retained its machinery and is of unusual historic interest, possibly the last one to function commercially in Monmouthshire. Group value with the Bridge and Mill House.