WALES NEWS
A couple’s lovingly-restored 350-year-old barn was destroyed by a freak mini-tornado
The fierce wind reduced the barn to rubble in seconds just yards away from Michael Mellors and wife Peta asleep in their country farmhouse.
The Mellors couple was woken by the noise of hail and wind at about 5am – as the restored barn "literally imploded" in the whirlwind.
The family had restored the 17th century barn for their daughter's plush wedding just three years ago.
WALES NEWS
The family had restored the 17th century barn for their daughter's wedding
And retired surveyorl Michael, 68, kept his treasured classic BMW Z3 sports car, a vintage tractors and their beloved camper van called Freda in the barn.
It looked like a bomb had gone off. I couldn't believe my eyes – it was all gone
Peta Mellor
But the stout timbers and two-and-a-half foot thick stone walls were reduced to a pile of rubble.
Mrs Mellors, 64, said: "It looked like a bomb had gone off. I couldn't believe my eyes – it was all gone.
"I could not take it in – this medieval barn was just gone. It had imploded." Just one end wall of the barn was left standing after the tornado swept through the farm near Brecon, South Wales.
WALES NEWS
How the barn looked like when it was fully restored
WALES NEWS
‘It looked like a bomb had gone off’, says Mrs Mellor
The collapsed barn had buried their three prized vehicles including Mr Mellors' 20-year-old "pride and joy" BMW sports car which he loved spinning around the country lanes.
Neighbours of the couple at their farm near the village of Llandefalle have rallied round with offers of help but the clean-up operation is likely to cost retired surveyor Mr Mellors, 68, and his wife thousands of pounds.
Mr Mellors said: "The walls of the barn were at least two and a half foot thick.
"In the 30 years we have lived here, we have never witnessed anything like this.
"What makes it more difficult is our daughter's wedding was held here just three years ago and we restored the barn for the occasion.
"The barn roof was a hefty weight, so what ever tore it off must have had some power.
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WALES NEWS
‘In the 30 years we have lived here, we have never witnessed anything like this’, says Mr Mellor
"A theory a friend has is that the wind began circulate in the court yard, bouncing off the house and outbuilding and causing a tornado."
The couple now face a massive clean-up at Llan Farm since last weekend's storm – and making a massive insurance claim for their wrecked barn.
Mr Mellors said: "Things could have been much worse, we are lucky we didn't get hurt. If this had happened two hours later my wife would have been feeding the animals.
"The amount of help we have been offered is overwhelming.
"Neighbours have arrived with their farm vehicles offering to help. We would like to thank everyone for their kind offers of help. It's at times like this that the community pulls together."
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