IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Polaris Industrial Estate, Hayes Road, PENARTH, CF64 5WA

As seen on approach to Cardiff International Airport, about 3 minutes from landing.

The nearer buildings belong to Hexion Speciality Chemicals. The large chimney and associated buildings are Centrica's gas fired power station. Through a donation to a re-afforestation project in Brasil, Centrica claim to have offset all the CO2 which the station will produce during its life.

Signs near the entrance show that occupiers of the site include: Momentive Speciality Chemicals Zeon Chemicals (Europe) Ltd and Barry Training Services Ltd.

Hayes Farm Windmill was part of Hayes Mill model farm which was created, along with Cog Farm in the early 19th century. Each farm had a windmill and this one was built around about 1812. The mill operated until 1902 when a combustion engine was installed. The sale of the windmill and buildings to the Barry Docks Railway ended its active life but its next owners, the Distillers Company decided to preserve it. This has continued to the present day surviving behind the security fences of the Dow Corning chemical plant - see far right mid way up picture. The mill is said to be the only one left on mainland Wales still with its machinery intact, though the cap and sails were removed long ago. It is a Grade II listed building.

Listed by CADW as a circular rubble tower containing original wooden machinery including three of four mill stones in situ. The ruin is behind the wire fence surrounding the industrial complex that includes a power station and chemical/plastics factory, some of its infrastructure is visible behind the mill. Hopefully this will protect it from further deterioration resulting from vandalism and offering the possibility of some kind of protective restoration. On the other hand of course it might seem to occupiers of the site to be of no interest and an impediment to expansion and it will be demolished despite its status! It has happened before!