Had planned to do this on way up for camping weekend but that went to shit. Then I considered going up and camping one night in Harlech and the weather put paid to that too. In the end decided for a good old one day road trip to West Wales. Getting up nice and early the A470 was absolutely deserted and when its like that you can't do anything but smile as it's got to be one of the best driving roads in the country when clear.
First stop of the day Talybont and all the millporn that accompanies it. Apparently there were 5 mills at Talybont. 4 on the river Leri and 1 on the Ceulan. I'm guessing that originally this one was actually 2 given the distances apart. There is a converted one further down and we know about the one on the Ceulan. Would love to know where the other one is. I think Speed mentioned in another report on here that there is bound to be more along this river - tend to agree.
Visited solo, thanks to jST for the location pointers
Digging around last night I found a bit more info about this place. It was originally built upon what was an old furnace/smelting works. Records show that the furnace works were first established on the bank of the Leri in 1642 taking lead from the local mines. It's unclear when the mills were first established but probably sometime in the early 1800's. It ran as a working mill up to the late 1950s when, like so many other, it became unprofitable and the UK itself had become a net importer of cotton for the first time. Around this time ownership of the mill changed hands and it was purchased by Mr John Hughes & his wife. So yeah whoever called this 'Simon's Mill' have a word with yourself and look a bit harder. It was run as a tourist attraction for the next 30 years until the family put the entire estate (2 mills, 6 bedroom house, craft shop, associated outbuildings and 14 acres of land with fishing & shooting rights) for sale with a guide price of £150'000. At the time Mr Hughes stated that none of his sons had the desire to run the mill upon their retirement and it was better to sell up now. It seems no buyers ever came forward. Some of the upper mill buildings were used for cider production & storage for a while but now most buildings are falling into serious disrepair.
Another article in the 1970's suggests that the upper mill is a 'scheduled ancient monument' - if that's the case it may also factored in the lack of sale as you really can't do much to buildings of that listing status (the highest CADW/EH rating). Also around that time heavy investment in the A470 began to make it the prominent 'trunk' route through Wales. Critically this mean that less traffic probably passed through the town.
Anyway enough of the history. I only visited the lower mill on this occasion.
Having found the easy way around the back of the site, it appeared the winter storms have made an even easier route which I used to exit. I think if it'd fallen 6ft to the left the site would be pretty much rubble now.
Thanks for looking
Some more here:Leri Tweed Mill, Talybont | Whatevers Left | UK Urbex
First stop of the day Talybont and all the millporn that accompanies it. Apparently there were 5 mills at Talybont. 4 on the river Leri and 1 on the Ceulan. I'm guessing that originally this one was actually 2 given the distances apart. There is a converted one further down and we know about the one on the Ceulan. Would love to know where the other one is. I think Speed mentioned in another report on here that there is bound to be more along this river - tend to agree.
Visited solo, thanks to jST for the location pointers
Digging around last night I found a bit more info about this place. It was originally built upon what was an old furnace/smelting works. Records show that the furnace works were first established on the bank of the Leri in 1642 taking lead from the local mines. It's unclear when the mills were first established but probably sometime in the early 1800's. It ran as a working mill up to the late 1950s when, like so many other, it became unprofitable and the UK itself had become a net importer of cotton for the first time. Around this time ownership of the mill changed hands and it was purchased by Mr John Hughes & his wife. So yeah whoever called this 'Simon's Mill' have a word with yourself and look a bit harder. It was run as a tourist attraction for the next 30 years until the family put the entire estate (2 mills, 6 bedroom house, craft shop, associated outbuildings and 14 acres of land with fishing & shooting rights) for sale with a guide price of £150'000. At the time Mr Hughes stated that none of his sons had the desire to run the mill upon their retirement and it was better to sell up now. It seems no buyers ever came forward. Some of the upper mill buildings were used for cider production & storage for a while but now most buildings are falling into serious disrepair.
Another article in the 1970's suggests that the upper mill is a 'scheduled ancient monument' - if that's the case it may also factored in the lack of sale as you really can't do much to buildings of that listing status (the highest CADW/EH rating). Also around that time heavy investment in the A470 began to make it the prominent 'trunk' route through Wales. Critically this mean that less traffic probably passed through the town.
Anyway enough of the history. I only visited the lower mill on this occasion.
Having found the easy way around the back of the site, it appeared the winter storms have made an even easier route which I used to exit. I think if it'd fallen 6ft to the left the site would be pretty much rubble now.
Thanks for looking
Some more here:Leri Tweed Mill, Talybont | Whatevers Left | UK Urbex
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before the metal fairies had there way 
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