There aren’t many places in Llangefni where you can’t see Felin Graig Mill sat atop Y Graig.
It is one of the more significant landmarks of the Market Town of Llangefni.
Other famous sites and sights are the Market Day, The Dingle Boardwalk, Derek Taylor leading the local Carnival through town and, of course, Tommy Peacock.
Page Contents
REVISIT YOUR MEMORIES AND CHILDHOOD PLAY
MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
GORDON WEARE’S TALE
SHARE YOUR MEMORIES
REVISIT YOUR MEMORIES AND CHILDHOOD PLAY
I have once again decided against doing loads of online research to discover the history of Felin Graig.
Indeed, I have chosen to invite the many friends I have made through Anglesey Hidden Gem to share their childhood memories.
I welcome contributions from friends I don’t even know yet to share their stories.
Any historical information you have to share is welcome
though it’s your childhood memories I really want to hear about.
Remember, your memories will probably awaken those in others.
So share and learn more than you ever knew.
Usually, you’ll come across someone you knew too many years ago.
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FELIN GRAIG - MY CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
Y Graig (The Rock) and Felin Graig (Felin = Mill) were very important play areas for me, my brothers and friends.
It’s where we played ‘Hide and Seek’ and ‘British and Germans’ - remember, we were children of our time.
For a child Felin Graig was an adventure playground covered in Summer with ferns where we’d hide from each other or find a warm spot in cold weather to talk and make plans of our next adventures.
The rocky slopes of Y Graig was where we climbed and pushed ourselves into very dangerous situations all too frequently – even as little kids.
Today, the Y Graig is protected by fences – 'Health & Safety’ and all that.
Felin Graig itself was a farm (now gone), where I remember Mr and Mrs Williams lived and farmed with their son, Owen.
My own childhood memories are vague and I am deeply grateful to my parents for sharing their story with me.
The Terible Twins Gordon and Andrew Weare have also added their own warm memories of childhood playing on Y Graig and inside the abandoned mill occasionally avoiding the cow poo.
I understand that its history reached back all the way to the time of the Napoleonic War and it is where Washi Bach used to stay (the last bit I remember).
Like I wrote above, I suppose I should do a bit of online research to discover specific historical. I might ...EVENTUALLY.
So let’s start.
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GORDON’S TALE
I asked my friends Gordon and Andrew Weare to set things rolling. So here’s a little article from Gordon, now in New Zealand.
I’ve asked Gordon to send me a photograph of him and his family. Yet I wait still.
So I offer him a reminder by placing an image of Nikita Khrushchev on a weekend off and hope it’ll urge him to action.
Who put that silly hat atop the Old Man of the Rock?
Ye olde mill was, I believe, built in 1812 to supply flour for the Duke of Wellington's army against Napoleon [Nappy to his friends].
I wonder what the inside looks like today. As a boy, once inside the building, it was stony and the walls very uneven, with large patches missing; especially the lower half where two doors opposed each other.
Looking up once inside we could see the sky and hear the wind humming ghostlike through that perfect round hole, like a Welsh choir. We almost expected Bryn Terfel to open up.
However, Mr Huw Williams' Welsh Black cattle were frequently inside, as well as keeping an ear open for his boots - you watched where you stepped.
Dense ivy grew up the wall, unlike the local castles - buckets of lime were now lacking. Later a flag with Y Ddraig Coch (The Red Dragon) flew proudly in the incessant wind.
GORDON WEARE & HIS LITTLE HEROES
Our left is Reuben and our right is Benjamin Bach
I only ever managed to climb to the first window on the east side, to a commanding view of all one could love. No need for a map.
Gorse was abundant on Y Graig, and we boys often set them on fire. This was safely done because it stood no chance of spreading. Besides, youth were not crazy in those days.
Granite was the rock, and sparks came off hobnailed climbers' boots as climbers abseiled down on the high corner near Bron Y Felin.
Thorns now grow pitiless on the flat area, where many boys played cricket annually, with many a good all-rounder.
Best wishes to all
Gordon
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SHARE YOUR MEMORIES
One thing we all managed to achieve with our rediscovery of Washi Bach was to generate a bitter-sweet anecdotal history for this sad man.
With your help we’ll do exactly the same thing for Felin Graig.
But this time we'll build a warm and affectionate backward glance to better times.
Mae croeso i chi ysgrifennu eich neges yn y Gymraeg.
DO GET IN TOUCH. DO REACH BACK TO YOUR CHILDHOOD.
IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD
- FROM LLANGWYLLOG TO LAOS –
PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORIES
Care To Share A Thought?
Dear Reader,
Would you care the share a thought or make an observation.
North Stack Fog Signal Station, just south of the Port of Holyhead, offers astonishing coastal walk and beautiful views of rugged Anglesey coastline.
Holyhead Breakwater Country Park. Astonishing coastal beauty. Award Winning Anglesey Green Flag Country Park. A superb green space for family fun and walks
White Beach really, really is a hidden gem. By that, I mean it is really, really well hidden. Dinner plate pebbles, nice picnics, CRAZY HORSES and some pretty good fishing.
