Xlendi Emergency Flour Mill

Useful Information

Location:	Munxar, Malta. Located behind Mount Carmel Church. (36.0320664, 14.2195107)
Open:	Only after appointment. [2025]
Fee:	yes. [2025]
Classification:	Secret Bunker Factory
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:
Address:	Xlendi Emergency Flour Mill, Kunsill Lokali Munxar (Munxar Local Council), Triq Profs Guze Aquilina, Il-Munxar MXR 1012, Gozo, Tel: +356-2155-8755. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1954	construction ordered by the British colonial office.
29-MAR-2015	officially inaugurated.

Description

Xlendi Emergency Flour Mill is one of eight secret underground floor mills on Malta. The British colonial office ordered the construction between 1954 and 1955, with seven located around Malta and one on the island of Gozo. The mills were located in rural areas, but still within easy reach of major towns. Each mill was self-sufficient including the power required to run them. The goal was obviously at the peak of the Cold War to have a way to provide food to the population even during the Third World War. The threat never materialised, and the mills were decommissioned and forgotten. Three are known to be still intact, and the one in Xlendi was actually restored and opened to the public in 2015.

A 30 m long entrance tunnel leads to a large chamber, 3 m wide and 2.5 m high, large enough for vehicles. There are three floors intended for storage, grinding and milling equipment. At the rear of the mill is a huge silo to store 1,000 t of wheat. The wheat is transported to the mill by mechanical augers. An 80 hp diesel engine and alternator supplied power for the machinery.

The site was restored and is now accessible after appointment, there are no regular open hours. To make an appointment call the Munxar Local Council.

In 2023 at Mistra and Mgarr flour mills an Open Day took place. And in 2021 an extensive clean-up of the underground flour mill in Xemxija took place. However, those sites are even less accessible than this one. As far as we know there are still no regular open days, for example on the Heritage Day on September.