Heritage Trails - Places of Interest
Mills
There are references from the fourteenth century about milling in the area. Both the fulling mill at Upper Mill and a corn mill at Old Mill may have their origins in medieval times. A further mill existed by the stream-side building attached to Mill Cottage.
Milling in Govilon developed due to the steep, fast flowing Cwm Siencyn Brook as it cascades from the Blorenge Mountain, high above the village, to the River Usk.
Corn Mills
Corn Milling at Govilon not only relied on the local water power but also the local availability of conglomerate or pudding stone found on the summit of the Blorenge. This provided the millstones for grinding.
The mills ground cereals (Corn) brought to them by local farmers. Remains of the mills, race ponds and the mill leats are still very evident along the banks of the brook. One exists upstream of the Wildon Iron Works site. Another is situated downstream of the works, called Upper Mill, and can be explored with care. The mill leat and the location of the over shute wheel can be clearly seen.
In the village Mill Lane gives a clear indication of a further site. Here the old corn mill operated from at least 1790. At this time the owner was David Ellys and it was called Velyn Johaan Clydach Vach (corrupted Welsh for Melyn Iowan Clydach Fach = John's Mill in little Clydach). It operated until 1956, and was then lovingly restored into a private household in 1976. Some of the old stone mill wheels can be found decorating the building.
Woollen Mill
Ty'r Factori, now known today as Brook House, processed woollen fabrics, again using the power of the Cwm Shenkin brook. Owned by Sir Charles Morgan, it was operated by Henry Price from 1808 to 1842. The Mill was known as Tucking Mill Farm before becoming Ty'r Factori.
