Trefriw Woollen Mills Ltd

Woollen cloth was manufactured in cottages across large parts of North and Mid-Wales before the Industrial Revolution, and in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century numerous small-scale water-powered mills were established to spin yarn, and in some cases to weave cloth. The Trefriw mills south of Conway on the A47 road to Llanrwyst, date from the 1820s, were taken over by Thomas Williams in 1850, and remain in control of the same family. The mills produce Welsh bedspreads, tweeds, travelling rugs and cushions, and visitors are able to see the whole process of producing cloth from the fleece to the finished fabric. Two Pelton wheel turbines installed in 1942 and 1951 provide electric power to work 50-year-old looms. A mill museum includes carding engines, spinning mules and warping machines. A weavers’ garden includes plants which are sources of fibres, dyestuffs, soaps and tools used in textile manufacturing. There are demonstrations of rag-rug making and hand spinning. An introductory section includes a video and information panels but visitors are able to explore the mill and the museum at their own pace.

Trefriw Woollen Mills Ltd
Main Road
LL27 0NQ Trefriw
United Kingdom
+44 (0) 1492 - 640462
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