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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The mill of Rochoux, located in Bouée en Loire-Atlantique (Land of the Loire), is a seigneurial mill built at the very beginning of the sixteenth century, probably in 1507 according to the carved weapons of the lords of the Châtelier. This mundane mill, which was necessarily used by local peasants, illustrates the seigneurial authority over the economic activities of the time. Its typical small-footed or Breton coiffier architecture is characterized by a narrow ground floor with an overflowing sitting and a corbelled floor, built of granite rubble.

The mill operated with a single pair of wheels, illuminated by two opposite windows, enhanced in the 19th century. A granite winch, still visible in the east, allowed to mount the bags of wheat and flour. Equipped with Berton wings (second half of the 19th century), he ceased his activity in 1950 after the destruction of his wings by a storm. His mechanisms were then sold. Restored in 1980, he lost his original shingles to a slate roof.

Ranked a historic monument in 1982 for its facades and roofs, the Rochoux mill bears witness to both traditional milling techniques and the architectural evolution of windmills in historical Brittany. Its inscription in the Merimée base and its precise location (5061 Moulin de Rochoux) make it a protected heritage, although its GPS location is considered poor (level 5/10).

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