The Llanerchaeron water wheel will be out of action for several months while undergoing maintenance and conservation work, the National Trust has revealed.

The wheel – installed in 1906 - was recently lifted from its wheel pit and will now be cleaned, painted and rebalanced.

As well as conserving the wheel, new bearings will be installed along with water flow controls that will allow it to operate more frequently.

“The original wheel pit was dug in 1852 and a breast shot wheel installed,” said a National Trust spokesperson.

“The wheel was installed to power farm machinery in the threshing barn, such as small winnowers and threshers. The barn machinery was driven by the wheel via a series of long inter-connecting shafts.

"The wheel was converted to an overshot wheel in 1899 by digging the wheel pit four feet deeper. The present wheel, installed in 1906, was made at the Eagle Foundry, Aberystwyth.

"We hope to have the wheel back and in its pit and operational within the next few months.”