Description
As part of the European Heritage Days 2026.
Come and discover the progress of the restoration work! Open from 10 am to 5 pm. The windmill, currently being restored, is owned by the municipality. Its dry-stone walls, in very good condition and now cleared of the ivy that had overgrown them, form a substantial tower, barely damaged by stones stolen from the openings. The entire structure is covered in slate, and the mill's sails have unfortunately disappeared. Inside, the location of the parts that allowed the mill to function is still visible. A stone staircase, built into the walls of the building, leads to the two upper levels of the mill. The association, working closely with the municipality, aims to bring the mill back to life by gradually restoring it and to raise awareness of it among the villagers (and others) when they walk on the nearby paths. This mill is located on the aptly named "Grée des Moulins" (Mill Gap), not far from the village of "La Touche" in La Berraye. On this high, windswept spot, two windmills once stood. Of one, which is currently being restored, only the tower remains. The other, now gone, was still operational in 1914. A postcard from 1912 confirms the presence of the two buildings close to each other. The mill's history is revealed to us in fragments, particularly during the settlement of estates. The mill has been owned by a family of millers and bakers since at least the late 19th century, who also owned a watermill located at "La Noë," in the commune of Béganne. One or more of them lived in a small village below, "La Béguaie." While the precise date is unknown, we know that Alphonse Marquet, a former baker in Caden, is said to have sold the windmill, along with some land, to the commune.