eurig salisbury
  • Cerddi | Poems
    • Cerddi 2023 Poems >
      • The Little Things | March 2023
      • Archif Ddarlledu Cymru | Mawrth 2023
      • Wales Broadcast Archive | March 2023
    • Cerddi 2022 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Erin | Awst 2022
    • Cerddi 2021 Poems >
      • Cywydd croeso | Awst 2021
      • Codwn | Hydref 2021
      • Rise | October 2021
    • Cerddi 2020 Poems >
      • Outside Inside Centre | November 2020
      • Ni 'da chi, bois | Tachwedd 2020
      • Parliament Square | Ionawr 2020
      • Eisteddfod Goll | Awst 2020
    • Cerddi 2019 Poems >
      • Carol Rybuddiol i'r Byd | Rhagfyr 2019
      • Arad Goch | Medi 2019
      • Gorsedh Kernow | Medi 2019
    • Cerddi 2018 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Gruffudd Owen | Tachwedd 2018
      • To Iau ar Ben Tŷ Awen | Medi 2018
      • Mewn Hiraeth am Aneirin | Awst 2018
      • Heddlu Dyfed-Powys | Ebrill 2018
      • Two Parched Poets ǀ January 2018
    • Cerddi 2017 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Sonia | Awst 2017
      • Y Pethau Bychain | Mawrth 2017
    • Cerddi 2016 Poems >
      • Er Cof am Eifion Gwynne | Tachwedd 2016
      • I Gyfarch Aneirin | Awst 2016
      • Brexit | Awst 2016
      • Serenestial | Awst 2016
      • Cerddi Donostïa, Gwlad y Basg | Gorffennaf 2016
      • Dychan i'r Sied yng Nghwm Du | Ionawr 2016
      • Elan Valley | January 2016
      • Cerddi Bardd y Mis | Ionawr 2016
    • Cerddi 2015 Poems >
      • I Teilo ac Einir | Awst 2015
      • I Gyfarch Hywel | Awst 2015
      • Cariad@Iaith | Mehefin 2015
      • Ger y Lli | Mehefin 2015
    • Cerddi 2014 Poems >
      • YES | Medi 2014
      • Ein Hafon Fach Ni | Medi 2014
      • Ger Taid | Awst 2014
      • Cyfarch Ceri | Awst 2014
      • Yn y Coch | Awst 2014
      • Stormy Castle, Gower | July 2014
      • Stormy Castle, Bro Gŵyr | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Old Farm Mews, Dinas Powys | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Ffwrnes, Llanelli | Gorffennaf 2014
      • New Barn, Felindre | Gorffennaf 2015
      • Talgarth Mill | July 2014
      • Melin Talgarth | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Capel Galilea, Llanilltud Fawr | Gorffennaf 2014
    • Cerddi 2012 Poems >
      • Awn Ninnau yn Bananas | Chwefror 2012
      • Sut i Goginio'r Wawr | Mehefin 2012
      • A Recipe for Dawn | June 2012
    • Cerddi 2011 Poems >
      • Stres mewn Preseb | Rhagfyr 2011
    • Cerddi 2010 Poems >
      • Yn y Coch | Gorffennaf 2010
    • Cerddi 2008 Poems >
      • Tir Newydd | Awst 2008
      • Gruffydd Aled Williams | Gorffennaf 2008
  • Blog
  • Comisiynu | Commission
  • Llyfrau | Books
  • Hanes | Bio

Talgarth Mill | July 2014

Talgarth Mill

Crwys wrote it. Now the words decay.
Come, seals! Take his grinding wheel away.
Let poets turn in to a Black Mountains mill
That can grind grist and won’t stop still,
Ellywe’s wet footprints on the café floor
And queues in the sluice by an open door.

Rob and Liz, Arwyn, Nicola, Gez and Jan,
Bolt and join, timber, rhythm, steel and plan,
Here turn the cogs of Brycheiniog’s rise
Like leavened loaves with spiral eyes.
Who wants a bite? The wheel turns now
With influx from Rhos Dirion’s brow.

In May 2011 an old ruined water mill in the town of Talgarth in Brycheiniog was renovated after sixty years of neglect. With financial support from a range of sources, a community venture succeeded in reviving the mill and adding to it an eco-friendly café and a bustling bakery.

The wheel turns with water from river Ellywe, which was presumably named after Ellyw, patron saint of Llanellyw in the hills east of Talgarth (or vice versa). The source of the river lies in an area of moorland in the Black Mountains called Rhos Dirion.
Picture
Wales Online
This poem (written at the request of the architects) is an English adaptation of a Welsh poem commissioned by the National Eisteddfod in Carmarthenshire, 2014. Whereas commissioning responses by a resident poet to the art pieces at the Eisteddfod is now a well-established tradition, this was the first year a poet was appointed in connection with the prize for architecture. I composed the original poem following a visit to the mill at Talgarth (designed by Hoole and Walmsley Architects), where I received a warm welcome and met a number of people who work there (many of whom do so voluntarily). Their community spirit moved me to include their names in the poem.

The most famous mill in the Welsh language is the ruined mill of Tre-fin, about which Crwys (1875-1968) wrote a well-known and rather sentimental poem whose dreary influence must surely now, by way of the success of Talgarth Mill, be much diminished!

I also visited as part of the commission some five other buildings of note that had been short-listed for the Gold Medal for Architecture, responding in verse to each in turn. All these poems are available in Welsh:

● Stormy Castle, Bro Gŵyr (English version also available)
● Old Farm Mews, Dinas Powys
● Ffwrnes, Llanelli
● New Barn, Felindre
● Capel Galilea, Llanilltur Fawr

Clicia fan hyn i weld fersiwn Cymraeg o'r gerdd hon.
eurig.cymru
sefydlwyd yn Ionawr 2016 | established January 2016
hawlfraint Eurig salisbury o ran y testun a'r lluniau, oni nodir yn wahanol | all text and pictures © Eurig Salisbury unless otherwise stated
  • Cerddi | Poems
    • Cerddi 2023 Poems >
      • The Little Things | March 2023
      • Archif Ddarlledu Cymru | Mawrth 2023
      • Wales Broadcast Archive | March 2023
    • Cerddi 2022 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Erin | Awst 2022
    • Cerddi 2021 Poems >
      • Cywydd croeso | Awst 2021
      • Codwn | Hydref 2021
      • Rise | October 2021
    • Cerddi 2020 Poems >
      • Outside Inside Centre | November 2020
      • Ni 'da chi, bois | Tachwedd 2020
      • Parliament Square | Ionawr 2020
      • Eisteddfod Goll | Awst 2020
    • Cerddi 2019 Poems >
      • Carol Rybuddiol i'r Byd | Rhagfyr 2019
      • Arad Goch | Medi 2019
      • Gorsedh Kernow | Medi 2019
    • Cerddi 2018 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Gruffudd Owen | Tachwedd 2018
      • To Iau ar Ben Tŷ Awen | Medi 2018
      • Mewn Hiraeth am Aneirin | Awst 2018
      • Heddlu Dyfed-Powys | Ebrill 2018
      • Two Parched Poets ǀ January 2018
    • Cerddi 2017 Poems >
      • I Gyfarch Sonia | Awst 2017
      • Y Pethau Bychain | Mawrth 2017
    • Cerddi 2016 Poems >
      • Er Cof am Eifion Gwynne | Tachwedd 2016
      • I Gyfarch Aneirin | Awst 2016
      • Brexit | Awst 2016
      • Serenestial | Awst 2016
      • Cerddi Donostïa, Gwlad y Basg | Gorffennaf 2016
      • Dychan i'r Sied yng Nghwm Du | Ionawr 2016
      • Elan Valley | January 2016
      • Cerddi Bardd y Mis | Ionawr 2016
    • Cerddi 2015 Poems >
      • I Teilo ac Einir | Awst 2015
      • I Gyfarch Hywel | Awst 2015
      • Cariad@Iaith | Mehefin 2015
      • Ger y Lli | Mehefin 2015
    • Cerddi 2014 Poems >
      • YES | Medi 2014
      • Ein Hafon Fach Ni | Medi 2014
      • Ger Taid | Awst 2014
      • Cyfarch Ceri | Awst 2014
      • Yn y Coch | Awst 2014
      • Stormy Castle, Gower | July 2014
      • Stormy Castle, Bro Gŵyr | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Old Farm Mews, Dinas Powys | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Ffwrnes, Llanelli | Gorffennaf 2014
      • New Barn, Felindre | Gorffennaf 2015
      • Talgarth Mill | July 2014
      • Melin Talgarth | Gorffennaf 2014
      • Capel Galilea, Llanilltud Fawr | Gorffennaf 2014
    • Cerddi 2012 Poems >
      • Awn Ninnau yn Bananas | Chwefror 2012
      • Sut i Goginio'r Wawr | Mehefin 2012
      • A Recipe for Dawn | June 2012
    • Cerddi 2011 Poems >
      • Stres mewn Preseb | Rhagfyr 2011
    • Cerddi 2010 Poems >
      • Yn y Coch | Gorffennaf 2010
    • Cerddi 2008 Poems >
      • Tir Newydd | Awst 2008
      • Gruffydd Aled Williams | Gorffennaf 2008
  • Blog
  • Comisiynu | Commission
  • Llyfrau | Books
  • Hanes | Bio