Melin Llynon, or Llynon Mill, is a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

located on the outskirts of the village of Llanddeusant on the island of

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. It is the only surviving working

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Founding

The mill was built for £529, 11s in 1775–1776, on land owned by the surgeon Herbert Jones. It is classified as a tower mill. The machinery is within a stone tower and the moving top, or cap ''cwch'', turns so that the sails ''hwyliau'' catch the wind from any direction. The tower was 9.3 metres tall and with four floors. It was used to drive machines for grinding corn, oats and barley. The first miller, Thomas Jones (1756–1846), worked it until his death. The position of miller was passed down through the generations, eventually going to a cousin William Pritchard. It is now the only working windmill in Anglesey and Wales. Also within the site is a reconstruction of an

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

roundhouse hut building.

Damage

A storm in 1918 damaged the cap stopping it from turning to face the wind. It still operated intermittently for the next six years when the wind was from the southwest. Eventually the mill closed and became increasingly dilapidated. It remained deserted and unused until the local council restored it between 1978 and 1986. It reopened in 1986 and now produces

stoneground flour Stoneground flour is whole grain flour produced by the traditional process of grinding grain between two millstones. This is in contrast to mass-produced flours which are generally produced using rollers. The process leaves the wheatgerm more intact ...

Reconstruction and ownership

The windmill was previously reconstructed in the 1980s by the

Isle of Anglesey County Council The Isle of Anglesey County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn) is the local authority for the county of Anglesey, one of the principal areas of Wales. Since 2022 the council has 35 councillors who represent 11 multi-member electoral wards. His ...

. Llynnon Mill is currently owned by Richard Holt and his family who purchased the mill in 2019, prior to the business venture Richard, a native of Angelsey was a

pastry chef A pastry chef or pâtissier (; the French female version of the word is pâtissière ), is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods. They are employed in large hotels, bi ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. His partner, sister, and father all work at the mill as part of the family business. Also at the site is a

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civ ...

factory and

donut A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...

(Mônuts) shop. Llynon Mill also teamed with the Llanfairpwll

distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heati ...

to create a gin alcoholic beverage. And there is a model saffari on site. And also a reconstruction of an

roundhouse.

References

External links

* *{{url, https://melinllynon.co.uk/
Anglesey Today: Llynnon Mill, Llanddeusant, Anglesey

Photos of Llynnon Mill and surrounding area on geograph.org.uk
Windmills completed in 1775 Windmills in Anglesey Tourist attractions in Anglesey Museums in Anglesey Mill museums in Wales Tref Alaw Grade II* listed buildings in Anglesey Grade II* listed windmills