Events

Saturday, 26th April 2008 -
The Society's Spring Meeting on Anglesey
at the Trecastell Hotel, Bull Bay, Amlwch, Ynys Môn, LL68 9SA.
Telephone: 01407 830651   Grid Reference: SN 425 943   Website: http://www.trecastell.co.uk/
Bull Bay is just to the north-west of Amlwch, on the A5025 towards Holyhead.

Programme
• 10.30 - 11.00 Assemble & coffee
• 11.00 - 11.30 John Crompton: Anglesey Mills in the Seventies
• 11.30 - 12.00 Dr Brian Davies: Seeking dyes but finding pigments on Parys Mountain
• 12.00 - 12.30 Members' contributions
• 12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
• 13:30 - 17:00 Visits by coach to:
  • Melin Cafnan (SH 344 934) near Wylfa Power Station. Watermill owned by the National Trust and attractively situated by the sea. Has all its machinery but in need of repair.
  • Melin Llynnon (SH 341 853). The only working windmill in Wales.
  • Melin Howell (SH 351 845). Watermill retaining machinery but no longer working.
• 17:00 - 17:30 Tea and scones at hotel; end of meeting.
• (Committee meets)

Local organiser: Falcon Hildred (01766 830540)
Holyhead Tourist Information Office: 01407 762622

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May 2008 -
visit by our guests the Mills and Millers of Ireland Society

Sunday 11th May 2008 -
National Mills Day details to follow

Saturday, 31st May 2008 -
Mucky Mills Gang - If you would like a dirty weekend, (well, dirty day ) , why not join the gang at Pontysgadrhyd Mill near Welshpool, owned by Dave and Jane Wadley ( WMS members ), Dave , Jane and family have put in an enormous amount of work, rebuilding the barn into a house , which is nearing completion, and re-roofing the mill. The aim of the gang project is to clear out the wheelpit, to kick start the mill machinery restoration .
Further details contact Andrew Findon on 01974 251231 .

Monday, 23rd to Friday, 27th June 2008 -
Trip to The Isle Of Man: It's not too late to join this trip.
We have now received enough bookings to run the trip, which is priced at £450 per person based on 2 sharing double or twin room, travelling as foot passenger ferry from Liverpool. Upgrades for travel and single room available . The trip will include the working 72 foot diameter Laxey mine pumping wheel, a fulling mill, corn mills, water powered roundabout, castle mill site, with some of the transport being by tram and steam train .
For a full itinerary or further details contact Andrew Findon on 01974 251231 or andrew@afindon.wanadoo.co.uk .

Saturday, 18th October 2008 -
The Society's 24th AGM, Usk, Gwent

Saturday, 18th April 2009 -
The Society's Spring Meeting 2009

New: Millers Forum

A forum for mill owners, or those interested in buying a mill or operating a mill, was held on Saturday 15th March 2008, at Y Felin, St Dogmaels, Cardigan. It was attended by Mel Walters , Tim Haines, David Smith, Dave Wadley, Wyn Jones, Dean Braithwaite, Mike Foxwell, Andy and Anne Parry, Tim Chilton , and Susan Phillips. The subjects discussed included, water rights, grants, promotion and publicity, insurance , specialist suppliers and materials, power production, mill history and recording, A list of specialist suppliers will be drawn up, and perhaps a Forum E-News update of progress on the issues discussed.

Since the forum I have been in touch with the Herefordshire Hydro Group, to see if we can get any help with hydro systems at Welsh mills. They seem very anxious to help, so I will try t o arrange a meeting. So if you have, or know of a mill site in Wales, which may benefit from a Hydro scheme please let me know. The viability of small scale hydro is improving rapidly, with the price of heating oil having gone up by 70% in the last year, all energy prices can only increase, the payback time for a hydro system is decreasing considerably.
If you would like to receive the Forum E-News update, or are interested in hydro power, please send your details to andrew@afindon.wanadoo.co.uk

Tilty Mill

Tilty Mill, Tilty, Essex (between Great Dunmow and Thaxted) is listed Grade II* and was recently subject of two planning applications for residential conversion. The author of the website tiltymills.mysite.orange.co.uk asked for support in objecting to the applications and calling for conservation and restoration. The applications were approved by the district council in March 2007.
A planning inquiry was held on 30 and 31 October 2007. "Speaking against the current plans were The Essex Mills Group, Tilty Parish council, Great Easton Parish Council, SPAB Mills Section, The Ancient Monuments Society and 5 others...."
New: On 20 February 2008 the Secretary of State announced that she had rejected the conversion plans.
A lively public meeting of local paople was subsequently held in March to consider how to move forward.
Further details, information, and links are to be found on the above website.

Recent Changes to web pages

New and Revised pages:

 Mills open  - Dreifa Mills, Cwm Morgan A 19th century woollen mill hidden in the upper reaches of the Cych. One of the two 20ft wheels has been restored and is used to drive a bandsaw and a generator.

Welsh versions of the  St Fagans  Mills pages have been added.

A page for Trefriw Mills in the Conwy Valley is in preparation. In the meantime you may wish to visit their sparkling new web pages at www.t-w-m.co.uk.

Earlier Changes

 Mills open  -  St Fagans  National History Museum has been added, with pages for the six mills to be seen there: Melin Bompren Ty'n Rhos Sawmill Rhayader Tannery Esgair Moel Woollen Mill Cider Mill and Press Gorse Mill

A brief note has beeen added to  About us - 2  - Past Events - mainly as a placeholder for an account of the recent meeting at Llanddewi Skirrid.

Rock Mill | Melin Wlân, Capel Dewi - The only working, waterwheel powered, commercial Woollen Mill remaining in Wales, and in production spinning and weaving since it was built in the 1890s.

Solva Woollen Mill Solva Mill celebrated 100 years milling in 2007. A C20 working Woollen Mill producing flat weave carpets and rugs using traditional skills. The water wheel was restored for the Centenary.

The  About us  page has been revised with the addition of an image of the visit by the Society to Priory Mill in 2004, and links to new Past Events page (see following).

 About us - 2  - Past events. This page notes selected events, and will carry links to further pages for particular events, such as the 21st AGM.

 AGM 2005  The Welsh Mills Society 21st Annual General Meeting 2005, when the Chairman's Address recalled the Society's past twenty-one years; in the afternoon members visited Parkmill and Penrice.

 About Mills  In this section you will find information about Welsh Mills, millers, milling, and mills in general. Additions have been made to the  Welsh Mill Surveys  page, minor changes to  Vocabulary , and two new pages have been added:

•  Individual Mills   Books and articles about an individual mill
  
•  General+Thematic  General or thematic studies relating to Mills, Milling
  and related topics, particularly in Wales.

The content of the new pages is expected to expand considerably over time.

Puzzle Picture What do you think?       ( Here's a clue. )

 

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