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Origin and history

The Bardin Mill, located in Amilly in the Loiret, is a former water mill built in 1860 on the foundations of a medieval mill. It was used to grind wheat to produce flour. Its architecture, between the Loing and the Briare Canal, includes a metal bridge linking the mill to the miller's house, as well as a still visible blade wheel. Joined historic monuments in 1991, it illustrates the transition between artisanal and industrial milling at the end of the 19th century.

The site has been occupied since the Middle Ages, with a first mention written in 1505 under the name of Mill Pollemier, owned by Pierre Bardin. In the 16th century, two mills coexisted: one with wheat (west bank of the Loing), the other with tan (east bank), depending respectively on the priory of Sainte-Catherine-de-Mercy and the Dominican sisters of Amilly. Transferred to the Saiget and Lecellier families, the mill passed in 1639 to the Briare Canal Company, which modified the site to allow the passage of the canal, including the reconstruction of the miller's house and the installation of a drawbridge.

In the 19th century, the mill underwent several changes related to the evolution of the waterways. In 1830, the canal was expanded and deepened, replacing the drawbridge with a rotating bridge. In 1860, the current mill was rebuilt, and in 1875 its blade wheel was expanded. In 1885, a metal bridge replaced the rotating bridge, while the mill adopted cylinders for milling in 1920. It ceased its activity in 1970 before being acquired by the municipality of Amilly in 2010. Since 2016, an association has been working for its restoration, with major works between 2019 and 2020.

The mill's architecture retains major historical elements: the wooden blade wheel, gears, a bucket strap system for grain, and milling facilities from the 1930s. The metal bridge, wheel and facades have been protected since 1991. The mill reopened partially for Heritage Days in 2022, offering a rare testimony of local industrial history.

The Bardin mill embodies nearly five centuries of milling history, marked by technical adaptations and property changes. Its medieval origin, its links with local lords and the Briare Canal Company, as well as its modernization in the 19th century, make it an emblematic heritage of the Loiret. Today, its preservation allows us to transmit this artisanal and industrial know-how to future generations.

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