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The water wheel is an under-shot (high breast) type and the flow of water is controlled by a sluice gate where the 'mill race' meets the River Ogwen further upstream. Controlling the flow of water was obviously important to the speed of the wheel and how fast the stones turned. A lever on the stone floor controls the wheel shutter which directs the water onto the wheel.

The wheel is currently been restored read more

photo of mill wheel
Water wheel

The grain would arrive on horse cart, and brought into the mill, where it would be hoisted up from the ground floor to the upper floors through the hatches. The grain sack would be hooked on to the chain and highered by means of a pulley system powered by the wheel. This involved a rope being pulled which levered a belt tight to a pulley which wound the chain, therefore lifting the sack:

photo of sack hoist
Sack Hoist

sack hoist diagram

The Hatches would slam shut after the sack passed through, so the miller would know when the sack had reached the top floor and release the pull.

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