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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Moulin de la Quétraye is a mill-tour located in Mésanger, in the Loire-Atlantique department, in the Pays de la Loire region. Built in the 3rd quarter of the 18th century, it bears the date of 1773 engraved on a stone at the top of its tower, probably that of its construction. This small mill, composed of two floors and a slate cap, operated with a pair of grinding wheels on the first floor and a feeding hopper on the second. Its cap was orientable thanks to a winch and rack system, while a blutery, initially installed on the ground floor, was moved to an adjacent building at the beginning of the 20th century.

Acquired in 1865 by the Levoyer family, the mill remained in milling activity until 1950, when its wings finally ceased to rotate. Despite a roof repair after 1965, the mechanism was never returned to service. A single rod remains today, a witness of the old stolen Berton who operated the mill. Ranked historic monument by decree of 12 July 1965, it embodies the industrial and artisanal heritage of the Loire-Atlantique, marked by wind energy and the evolution of milling techniques.

Architecturally, the Quétraye mill is distinguished by its compact structure and horizontal transmission system, formerly connecting the tower with the attached bluterie. Its listing in the inventory of historical monuments underlines its importance as a remnant of the windmills of the region, now disappeared or transformed. The visible remains, as they will see pivots, recall its original functioning, while its present state questions the challenges of preserving rural heritage.

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