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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Timbrieux windmill is located at the so-called "Timbrieux" in Cruguel, Morbihan. This flour mill, of a tower type with an evasive granite foot, is isolated in the Breton heath. Dated from the first half of the 17th century (it is attested from 1632), it retains all its internal mechanisms, including wooden gears and a pair of wheels. Its wings, stopped since 1957, have lost their original ties. The site is linked to the Timbrieux manor house, mentioned as early as 1427 as property of the Chesnaye family, then passed to the Du Bot in the 18th century.

The mill was listed as historic monuments on 27 December 1996 for the protection of its mechanism. It is about 1 km north-northeast of the Château des Timbrieux, built in 1735 by Louis Du Bot, seigneur of the place. The estate, including farmhouses and a chapel, is cited in archives of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries, reflecting its local importance. The documents mention conflicts of ecclesiastical preeminences in the 17th century, involving Olivier de la Chesnaye, then lord of the Timbrieux.

The mill illustrates the traditional architecture of the Breton mills, with a granite machine placed with a lively joint. Its present state, although deprived of its functional wings, allows to study the milling techniques of the Ancien Régime. The site is part of a landscape of moors, typical of Morbihan, and bears witness to the rural economic activity of the time, centered on flour production. No information is available on its current accessibility or visit conditions.

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