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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Kermarc'h Water Mill is an iconic building located in Saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, in the Côtes-d'Armor department, Brittany. Built in the middle of the 17th century, this mill is distinguished by its granite bellows structure, its slate cover and its exposed gables. It is powered by two water arms that used to operate wheels, now gone. The miller's housing, adjacent to the mill, is accessible by a low door in the middle, and the inner mechanism consists of two pairs of grinding wheels resting on a masonry massif. A cabestan lift allowed to maintain the grinding wheels, while the wooden formwork, adorned with religious and astral sculptures dated 1807, illustrates the traditional low-breton art.

The carved decoration of the mill, including motifs such as the cross, the sun, the moon and palm trees, evokes the religious and cosmic themes dear to Breton folk art. This decoration, comparable to that of enclosed beds, contributed to its protection as a historic monument in 1987. The mill, although stopped since 1979, retains its mechanism, furniture and hydraulic system, offering a complete testimony of the Breton mill. Its modest but functional architecture, with a small bedroom at the top, reflects the way of life of millers of the era.

Ranked among the historical monuments by decree of 13 August 1987, the Kermarc'h mill embodies the industrial and artisanal heritage of Brittany. Its state of conservation, despite the absence of the original vertical wheel, makes it a representative example of the water mills in the region. The precise location of the site, at the place called Kermarc'h, as well as its registration in the Merimée inventory, underline its cultural and historical importance for the Côtes-d'Armor territory.

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