Boys and Boden Ltd. built The British Sawmills on a greenfield site bought from the Powis Estate in about 1917. By 1926 timber, coffin boards and wheelwrights requirements were being produced. A builder's merchants department was opened in 1930. Power was provided by two 'Crossley' engines, one oil-fuelled, the other using gas. Late in the 1930s a 'Blackstone' oil engine was also installed to power a generator for all-electric operation. Horizontal bandsaws, large inserted-tooth circular saws and a pendulum cross-cut saw were used. In about 1939 a jib crane was installed for carrying the timber from wagons on the siding to the mill site. Later a large gantry lift was built for moving tree trunks from the opposite side to the saws. This was finally removed in the mid 1990s. The firm were also wheelwrights and carpenters until about 1945. The wheelwrighting required a smithy on site to provide the necessary metalwork. Charcoal was also produced from tunnel kiln retorts. Nowadays prefabricated parts for the building trade are made on the site (Barton, P G, 2003, pp42-3).

Sources :
Barton, P G , 2003 , The timber and sawmilling trade in Montgomeryshire , The Montgomeryshire Collections : 91 : 29-52

Reference: Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust