Melin Gallt-y-Benddu

The building of this windmill, located just outside Llanerchymedd, is known to have begun on 8 September 1737 and finished on 24 October 1738, thanks to the diary of Anglesey landowner William Bulkeley. This makes it the oldest mill of those with known construction dates.

The mill features well in historical documents. The sequence of millers is known through tax and census records, starting with Thomas Davis in 1745 through to Owen Roberts, who was presiding over the mill when it lost its cap and sails during a storm and closed at the end of the 19th century. One of the millers, John Jones, who took over the mill around 1874 from his brother, decided to train as a preacher in 1881. He left the running of the mill to his younger brother Hugh, who was only 15 years old. Despite his age he successfully ran it for several years.

As with most storm-damaged mills, this one deteriorated through the decades, but was rescued in 1964 when it was bought and restored for holiday accommodation.

See other images of this windmill at:

• Windmill World
• Anglesey.Info
• Geograph
• Image taken in 1936, from the Donald W. Muggeridge Collection of Mill Photographs, University of Kent, Canterbury

Melin Maelgwyn, Llanfaelog, or go to gallery.

Aerial image

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