Driving down a country road towards the sea on the beautiful Isle of Anglesey and you will see hedgerows, tree tops and the occasional collection of roof tops; and one roof top will stand out above all others.
It's the roof top of a windmill and on this stunning Welsh island the sight isn't as rare as you might think.
What is rare though is the opportunity to buy one at auction as a full renovation project to create a dream home with incredible views from the top floor across the island, maybe even as far as Ireland and Liverpool on a very clear day.
READ MORE: Some of the best renovation projects currently for sale in Wales
This particular former windmill for sale is called Melin Cemaes, on the periphery of a village and overlooking the coast at Cemaes Bay on the north coast of the island.
The former industrial building is part of a collection of surviving windmills that can be found dotted around the island and mark out an important era of the area's history.
There was an upsurge in windmill construction on the Welsh island during the 1740s in some part due to the winds known to regularly sweep across the region.
In addition, due to the periods of drought during this time, windmills became more common on the island as watermills struggled to keep up with demand for ground grain.
But by the early 20th century only a handful of working windmills remained due to the popularity of steam powered milling in the region on an industrial scale, combined with imports of foreign grain.
Author Warren Kovach, whose website Anglesey History documents the story of many of Anglesey's historic buildings, says: "By this time only a handful of mills were still limping along, many powered by more reliable diesel engines rather than wind. The last working mill, Melin y Gof, closed in 1936.
"Out of the 32 windmills on Anglesey of which some of the structure still remains, 14 have been converted into dwellings or incorporated into a larger house.
"Nine of these have been converted or renovated since the year 2000, showing the great increase of interest in restoring historic buildings."
This Grade II listed corn mill Melin Cemaes, according to Kovach, was built in 1828 and run for most of its history by local miller Williams Rowlands and then his nephew John Rowlands.
In 1918 the mill was sold to John Richard Roberts at a time when the use of windmills was dramatically declining, although Melin Cemaes managed to continue throughout the Second World War due to the installation of a diesel engine to drive the millstones.
It eventually closed in 1946 and was considered for restoration in 1954 by Anglesey council, but the suggestion did not become reality.
In the 1970s it's thought the then owners got planning permission to turn the mill into a residential property, and during the 1980s it was being used as a holiday home.
According to website British Listed Building, the mill gained its Grade II listing in September 1952, amended in 2002, due to it being 'a good early C19 windmill tower, retaining much of its original form, openings and character.
'It is of particular historic interest for its connections with the renowned Rowlands family of Anglesey millers'.
Currently the mill has a lower ground floor room from the front door and then an upper ground floor kitchen and a living room with a fireplace and Juliet balcony with glass French doors.
Up the stairs gets you to the next two floors of bedrooms and a bathroom, with one of the top floor bedrooms featuring a large window that has the best panoramic views across the countryside, villages and coast.
This room gives you a taste of what this windmill could become if restored with the views maximised from a viewing gallery at the very top.
The property is described by the auction house selling it as being 'in need of complete modernisation' but it offers the buyer the rare opportunity to own and restore a slice of Welsh history.
Your reward for the effort will be the best sea views to the horizon, especially if part of the renovation project is to create a whole viewing room on the top floor, subject to planning and listed building consent.
The mill stands proudly within a rural landscape on the edge of the coastal village of Cemaes Bay, a pretty village with harbour that hugs the coastline around a large bay that has an expansive sandy beach, rock pools to explore and a promenade for a sunset stroll.
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Website The Beach Guide states the bay has two beaches called Traeth Mawr and Traeth Bach, which is closer to the harbour, and further down the coast is the unexpected site of the disused Victorian Porth Wen Brickworks hugging the shoreline, another slice of Anglesey's industrial heritage.
The brickworks is not for sale but Melin Cemaes is, and it gives potential buyers the rare opportunity to own, restore and live in a unique and historic building in a beautiful location.
The restoration work will preserve the corn mill for generations to come whilst acknowledging the work of generations of the past who built it.
The mill is going under the hammer online with All Wales Auction, Llangefni with a guide price of £120,000 with an opening bid of no less than £100,00, unless the property is sold prior to the auction or withdrawn from sale.
The auction house states all interested parties must read and follow the online auction terms and conditions on the company's website. For further information visit the website tppuk.com or call 01248 752939.
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