Virtual Tour - Flour Mill

Mill Map

Introduction

Welcome to Xlendi Flour Mill. Captured here, entirely underground is the complete milling process - from grain to flour, installed over half a century ago. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Background

The restoration process began in 2001 when devolution placed care of the mill in the hands of Il-Munxar local council. An early priority was its restoration in order to open it to the public. Read more...
Flour Mill Photo

The Process. (Overview)

The mill vault or chamber has a ground area of 15 by 6 metres with two upper floors of wood set on iron girders. Air shafts at each end provide ventilation but had no filtering system to prevent possible radio-active contamination, for in those early years the consequences of nuclear fall-out were yet to be fully realised. Read more...
Flour Mill Photo

Gozitan Bread

Bread in all its forms has been the staple food for mankind for thousands of years, and is particularly important for the Maltese people. In 1942, during the Second World War, the island reached starvation point when, blockaded by the Axis powers, foodstuff and fuel had failed to arrive. Read more...
Flour Mill Photo

The Heritage Trail

The history and characteristics of the island and its people, the architecture, agriculture and traditions of Gozo are all to be found along this Heritage Trail. Read more...
Flour Mill Photo

Tank and Storage area

This short extension of the approach tunnel enables vehicles to drive in and reverse into the milling chamber in order to load the sacks of flour and exit forwards. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Level 0

The massive twin cylinder “ Petter” diesel Engine provides power for the entire complex . Water Cooled, the engine produces 75 bhp and also drives a Kw generator. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Roller Mills

The five roller mills each produce grain of sequential fineness. The milling process entails a fluted roller revolving at 350 rpm against a smooth roller at 250 rpm, the consequent crushing and tearing action imitating the traditional flat, horizontal millstone process. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Side chamber - the Engines

The side chamber houses the petrol stationary engine used to drive a compressor and tank which holds air at a pressure of 350 psi. The starting procedure for the twin cylinder diesel engine is as follows. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Bran Box

This large rectangular wooden bin holds all the middlings, bran and husks are removed by air currents from the sifters above. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Pulley Room

The two parallel shafts in the pulley room, the gearbox of the complex, drive all the machinery above. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Level 1

The grain separator and scourer receives grain from the silos and separates that which needs washing to remove dirt and impurities. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Scourer and Separator

Grain direct from the silos is fed into the scourer where the grain is shaken and separated, large and small impurities removed and unclean grain sorted and sent to be washed and dried. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Washer-Dryer

The washer and dryer removes any dirt adhering to the grain prior to the scouring process. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

The Plansifters

Instead of rotating drum sifters - plansifters, as their name suggests, operate horizontally, the internal mesh sizes determining each grade for further grinding. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Silo

At the highest level of this complex, immediately below ground level the two underground silos, each with a capacity of almost 500 tons, are sealed in reinforced concrete and access to each of them is via manholes in the roof. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Silo

The two underground silos, each with a capacity of almost 500 tons are loaded via manholes in the roof reached by a separate road above and behind the church. Read more...

Flour Mill Photo

Point 7

No information available.