Melin Tregwynt (Tregwynt Mill) is a woollen mill in the hamlet of Tregwynt in the parish of
Granston
Granston ( cy, Treopert) is a hamlet and parish in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The parish was in the Hundred of Dewisland and includes the settlements of Llangloffan and Tregwynt, with Tregwynt woollen mill. Granston is in the community of Pencaer.
Na ...
,
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
, Wales.
A mill has stood on this site since 1819 taking fleeces from the sheep farms of the area, carding and spinning them into woollen yarn and then weaving the yarn into cloth and blankets.
Today, the mill makes a line of upmarket blankets, cushions, clothing, and accessories.
History
Tregwynt woollen mill (''Melin Tregwynt'') lies in an isolated valley on the coast of Pembrokeshire. It is about from the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. The hipped and whitewashed rubble stone building has the date of July 1819 on a roof truss. It was originally a corn mill, and was converted to a woollen mill later in the 19th century. The mill was part of the
Tregwynt estate. On the 1841 Tithe Map, it was called Dyffryn Bach, owned by G. J. Harries and occupied by David Evans.
The local farmers would sell their fleeces to the mill, which would wash, card, comb, and spin the wool into yarn and then weave it into blankets.
The mill was powered by water from the local stream.
In an unusual design, the water wheel is inside the building.
The large iron overshot wheel probably dates to the later part of the 19th century.
The water wheel drove hammers that beat the woven cloth to clean and soften it.
Later the water wheel drove leather belts that powered the carding engines and looms.
This equipment has been preserved in the old section of the mill.
The present owner's grandfather bought the mill for £760 in May 1912 and operated it with his son.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the mill devoted most of its capacity to making knitting wool, which was not rationed. In the 1950s the owners opened a shop at the mill and in
St Davids
St Davids or St David's ( cy, Tyddewi, , "David's house”) is a city and a community (named St Davids and the Cathedral Close) with a cathedral in Pembrokeshire, Wales, lying on the River Alun. It is the resting place of Saint David, W ...
and
Fishguard
Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two pa ...
, and started to develop Melin Tregwynt as a brand. The business thrived in the 1960s and 1970s and survived the recession in the 1980s that forced many other Welsh mills to close. The founder's grandson entered the business and started to develop foreign markets.
Recent years
As of 1997 the mill was weaving of cloth each month.
Melin Tregwynt now outsources some processes, including carding and spinning.
The mill's water wheel still functions but is no longer used to power the machinery. The 2008 Guinness Book of Records noted that the mill had woven the world's largest picnic blanket for
Waitrose
Waitrose & Partners (formally Waitrose Limited) is a brand of British supermarkets, founded in 1904 as Waite, Rose & Taylor, later shortened to Waitrose. It was acquired in 1937 by employee-owned retailer John Lewis Partnership, which still se ...
. In 2012, the mill celebrated 100 years as a family business, now weaving for a global market. The looms are still manually warped, the knots are tied by hand and the blankets are finished by hand.
Melin Tregwynt operates a cafe at the mill as well as the shop.
In September 2012, Melin Tregwynt was featured at
Heal's
Heal's ("Heal and Son Ltd") is a British furniture retail company comprising seven stores, selling a range of furniture, lighting and home accessories. For over two centuries, it has been known for promoting modern design and employing ta ...
in London during the
London Design Festival
London Design Festival is a citywide design event that takes place over nine days every September across London. It was conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans CBE in 2003 and celebrated its 20th edition in September 2022.
In an article by ...
. In 2012 the Welsh fashion designer
Jayne Pierson
Jayne Pierson is a Welsh fashion designer. She launched her début collection with On, Off at London Fashion Week in September 2009. She has designed for Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Her speciality is designing fashions for artists ...
created a line of bespoke women's wear for Melin Tregwynt. The mill featured in a
BBC Two Wales
BBC Two Wales is the national variation of BBC Two for BBC Cymru Wales. It is broadcast from BBC Cymru Wales New Broadcasting House, Central Square in Cardiff with live continuity provided by a team of announcer/directors. The channel opts out f ...
''Made in Wales'' episode in December 2012. The mill's products have been featured on various TV shows including
Big Brother and
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
. In 2013, the mill exhibited at the
Milan Furniture Fair
The Milan Furniture Fair ( it, Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano) is a furniture fair held annually in Milan. It is the largest trade fair of its kind in the world. The exhibition showcases the latest in furniture and design from countrie ...
. In 2015, a design by Melin Tregwynt was used as the pattern for a dance choreographed by Angharad Harrop to be performed in the
National Theatre Wales
National Theatre Wales (NTW) is a theatre company known for its large-scale site-specific productions and its grassroots work with diverse Welsh communities. It is the English-language national theatre of Wales, and refers to Theatr Genedlaeth ...
and
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales, founded in 2003. It has a counterpart in National Theatre Wales, the English language
English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, wi ...
.
As of 2016, the mill employed about 30 people.
It is a Grade II listed building.
File:Gear shaft at Melin Tregwynt - geograph.org.uk - 1269356.jpg, Gear shaft
File:Loom at Melin Tregwynt - geograph.org.uk - 1268363.jpg, Loom
File:Melin Tregwynt Mill Water Wheel - geograph.org.uk - 221600.jpg, Water wheel
File:Wool at Melin Tregwynt - geograph.org.uk - 1268376.jpg, Racks of wool
Notes
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{{authority control
Textile mills in Wales
Grade II listed buildings in Pembrokeshire
Tourist attractions in Pembrokeshire
Watermills in Pembrokeshire
Grade II listed watermills