Destruction of the house of Creyschat 1346 (≈ 1346)
Crude Isle destroying the old house.
1347
Construction of the eschif
Construction of the eschif 1347 (≈ 1347)
Built on the walls of Puy-Saint-Front.
1860
Destruction of ramparts
Destruction of ramparts 1860 (≈ 1860)
Trace of Imperial Road 21.
1929
First protection (rounded)
First protection (rounded) 1929 (≈ 1929)
Listed as "Saint-Front Mill".
1976
City acquisition
City acquisition 1976 (≈ 1976)
Becoming property of Périgueux.
1977
Final classification
Final classification 1977 (≈ 1977)
Ranked historic monument under its exact name.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Origin and history
The Creyssac Eschif, also wrongly referred to as "Vieux Moulin" or "Moulin Saint-Front", is a medieval building built in 1347 in Périgueux, Dordogne. It was built on the walls of Puy-Saint-Front, at the site of a house destroyed by a flood of Isle in 1346. Although never used as a mill, its proximity to the former mill of Saint-Front, demolished in 1860, fueled this confusion. This watch post was used to monitor the bridge of Tournepiche in the Middle Ages, in the historic city of Périgueux.
In 1860, the destruction of the ramparts to trace Imperial Road 21 (now Georges-Saumande Boulevard) was partially isolated from the eschif, which still retains its wood sections and torchis. Ranked a historic monument in 1977 (after a first erroneous inscription in 1929 under the name of "Moulin Saint-Front"), it belongs to the city of Périgueux since 1976. Its fragile architecture, supported by strong legs, makes it a rare testimony of medieval urban fortifications.
The term eschif refers to a small wood or stone fortification, often temporary, built to defend the accesses of a door or bridge in urban enclosures. In Périgueux, this building illustrates the adaptation of medieval defences to geographical constraints, such as the proximity of Isle. Its state of conservation and classification make it an emblematic heritage of the Périgord.
