"Rhosyfelin" means "the moor by the mill" or some such thing, and I have always wondered where the mill was or is. I think we found it a couple of weeks ago, a few hundred yards up the valley, lost in the trees and somewhat ruinous. To get there, you just follow the public footpath from the archaeological dig site and the ford.
This is far more worthy of archaeological investigation than the "Neolithic Quarry" since it has some quite interesting features which appear to be man-made. In the winter it will be far easier to explore, when the vegetation has died down a bit. But there is a sort of walled depression in front of it, which brings to mind the old fulling mill at Pandy, in the Gwaun valley. ("Pandy" means fulling mill.)
So my working hypothesis is that this is a fulling mill, and not a woollen mill or a corn mill. I wonder if the National Geographic will sponsor a full-scale research project? Hmm -- I suspect not. That worthy journal is probably not that interested in old mills which had stinking ponds full of urine in front of them........
Hen Felin ?
ReplyDeletehttp://cofiadurcahcymru.org.uk/arch/query/page.php?watprn=DAT19076
Hey -- well done, Geo! That must be the one..... further investigation required.
ReplyDeleteJudging by a recent query on JISC , there is hope of a "paper" on fulling mills , this could be the best one yet . I'm on tenterhooks .
ReplyDeleteTenterhooks? Or are you just flannelling? Sounds interesting --- look forward to hearing more...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteBoth , as will be clear when the potential author becomes known .
Clue . Almost certainly has only very recently discovered what a fulling mill was ,i.e. knows next to nothing about the subject .
Will not be prepared to read or investigate anything on the subject .
None of this will matter for the content of the "paper"
The case and explanation for the "truth" about the mills is what really appeals to me .
If Pandy means fulling mill, what does Tonypandy mean?
ReplyDeleteMe, I'm just a Teddy Bear, like Elvis.
I am not certain which is going to be the more entertaining. The Altar Stone discussion- was it used as a bar during EBA cattle auctions or the CRyf fullerenes also known as a load of bucky balls.
ReplyDeleteMy money is just on the Altar Stone.
Read Britarch folks you CAN make it up.
What did Tiberius/Caligul once say... if only they had....
M
My great grandmother was born in Henfelin. Having visited the ruins for the first time in October this year, I am very interested in finding out more about the building.
ReplyDeleteWell well -- I wonder when it fell into ruin? Once the roof is gone, it's amazing how quickly these buildings deteriorate. There are several buildings around Cilgwyn which I had assumed as being ruinous for centuries -- only to find that they were occupied and in good repair until after WW2.
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