Gelli-groes Mill, Grade II* listed watermill in Pontllanfraith, Wales
Gelli-groes Mill is a water-powered corn mill with an overshot wheel made of cast iron and wooden buckets designed for grinding barley and wheat. The building expanded over time to serve both as a working mill and residence for successive operators.
Built around 1625, the mill operated continuously until the 1980s and was the last working grain mill in the area. It survived economic shifts by adapting to new technologies, including electrical generators installed in the early 1900s.
Resident Artie Moore famously received wireless signals from the Titanic in 1912 using a radio receiver he built himself inside the mill house. This connection to the ship disaster became a point of local interest and memory.
The site is best reached on foot via the road leading to the mill building, which sits alongside a small watercourse. During wetter months, the ground around the mill can become muddy, so sturdy shoes are advisable.
In 2000, David Constable, a royal candlemaker, took over the mill and continued his craft at this historic location. His presence brought together two different artisan traditions within the same space.
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