The owner of Wales’ only working windmill has sparked fury after painting the Grade-II listed building red, white and green without seeking permission from the council.
Richard Holt, 33, said he decorated the 250-year-old Melin Llynon windmill in Anglesey to celebrate this year’s Urdd Eisteddfod music, dance and literature festival.
The historic site was changed to resemble Mistar Urdd, the mascot of Welsh organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru, though Mr Holt originally planned to re-paint it white.
But following positive feedback, the businessman opted to keep the windmill’s colourful design because it ‘put a smile on kids’ faces’ and improved business.
That decision has however incited a wave of backlash. Anglesey Council has ordered Melin Llynon be returned to its original colour while a descendent of the site’s first miller, Thomas Jones, fumed that he would be ‘turning in his grave’.
Mr Jones’ great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter Dr Eiddwen Jones, who has visited the site several times, added that she ‘doesn’t like’ its new design.
Her descendant managed the property, built in 1776, for 70 years in the village of Llanddeusant before dying in his nineties.
She fumed: ‘He would have turned in his grave; he wouldn’t have liked it knowing the rest of the family and knowing what they like and dislike.
The owner of Wales’ only working windmill, Melin Llynon, has sparked fury after painting it red, white and green
The 250-year-old, Grade-II listed building had originally been painted white, and the redecoration has sparked fury
The owner said the new colour resembles Mistar Urdd, the mascot of Welsh organisation Urdd Gobaith Cymru, though he originally planned to re-paint it white
‘I know about the tendencies of the family which have been passed from generation to generation, and I’m saying he would have turned in his grave.
‘The colours are vibrant, and I think that the mill should have been in a much nicer whitewash colour.’
The Urdd Eisteddfodd is a yearly event held either in north or south Wales. It attracts around 15,000 youngsters to compete in literature, music and performing arts challenges.
This year marked the first time in more than two decades that the festival had been held in Anglesey, an island off north Wales, and Mr Holt painted Melin Llynon to celebrate the occasion.
Dr Jones said she was ‘quite happy’ for the mill to be painted temporarily, but insisted that it’s now time the site was returned to its original colour.
‘I don’t like it, but I’m quite happy to put up with it over the time of the festival,’ she said. ‘But now it is time to change it back, and of course as we know, it’s been done without permission of the council.’
Mr Holt, who has run his Mônuts business out of the windmill since 2019, argues that the makeover helped to increase tourism at the attraction.
He added that thousands of people have visited this summer, thereby improving footfall at his business. Mr Holt, nevertheless, insists that he was totally unaware he needed permission from Anglesey Council to carry out the makeover.
‘Windmills many, many years ago, back in the day, were always decorated to celebrate really important events,’ he explained.
‘I kind of knew what I had to do with the windmill, and it being remarkably similar to the shape of the logo, I thought “to hell with it”, we’ve got to do it, kids will love it, this will bring a smile to a lot of faces during some very difficult times.
Richard Holt, 33, who has run his business out of the site since 2019, gave it a new lick of paint before the Urdd Eisteddfod
Mr Holt said the makeover has attracted thousands of customers to the remote site
The windmill was however redecorated without permission from the local council
‘We waited for the very last minute, in fact, the day before the events happened, with the intention of having it up for one week and then painting it white again immediately afterwards.’
Mr Holt says the windmill’s remote location means it relies heavily on people making a special trip to visit – and the makeover has given them a reason to do just that.
‘I was more than willing to paint it back white, like, immediately, but we’ve been having a tough time financially of late, as has every other small business in the UK, and it has attracted so many people – I literally mean like thousands of people,’ he continued.
‘My ultimate goal is to keep this windmill open to the public. The feedback we’ve had is that it’s made people feel proud to be Welsh.
‘It’s brought colour to the attraction. It’s brought colour to people’s lives. It’s also made the windmill absolutely 100 per cent unique.’
The owner accepts that he should have sought permission before carrying out the work and has apologised to the council, but disputes the idea that he broke the law.
Mr Holt has since launched a petition calling for the colours to remain, while also allowing a separate petition calling for the windmill to be returned to white.
Hundreds of people have thrust their support behind it, while a petition calling for the windmill to be painted white had racked up just three signatures.
The council says the issue is not about opposition to Welsh culture but the legal protection afforded to a listed building.
An Isle of Anglesey County Council spokesperson explained: ‘As a council, we fully recognise and support the importance of Welsh culture.
‘However, Melin Llynon is a Grade-II listed building, which means it has special architectural and historic significance. It is legally protected, and the Council has a statutory duty to ensure there is compliance with The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, which provides for the protection and sustainable management of listed buildings.
‘Any alterations that affect the character or fabric of a listed building require Listed Building Consent in advance. This applies in all cases, regardless of the intention behind the works. In this instance, the repainting was carried out without consent.
‘For these reasons, we have asked that the unauthorised paint is removed using an appropriate conservation method and that the building is returned to a suitable, breathable finish. This action is necessary to protect an important heritage asset and to ensure the Council meets its own legal duties.
‘The matter remains under investigation, and we are continuing to work with the owner to resolve the situation appropriately.
