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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Thévalles Mill, located in Chemeré-le-Roi on the river Erve, is a historic monument rebuilt in 1850. It replaces two old watermills, the first of which, cited in 1260, probably dated from the 10th or 11th century. This medieval mill, framed by towers, was integrated into the defensive system of the castle of Thévalles, allowing the inhabitants to resist the besiegants, as in 1429 against the English.

A second mill was built after the Hundred Years' War, in the late 15th or early 16th century, accompanied by a partially preserved milling house. Until the 18th century, it served as a common mill, forcing the inhabitants dependent on the seigneury of Thévalles to grind their grain if they resided within a league of the castle.

In 1850, the mill was completely modernized with an English cast iron and wood mechanism, unique in the West. Equipped with a 5.60 m in diameter hydraulic wheel, it operated on four levels: ground floor drive mechanism, first floor grinding wheels, bluters and grain chambers on the second floor, and last elevator. He also produced electricity and pumped water for the castle.

The mill ceased operations in 1958 but was restored and opened to the public in 1995. It is now the only water mill that can be visited in Mayenne, offering demonstrations of organic flour milling, an ancient cereal reintroduced locally in 1989. Its mechanism, its past defensive function and its economic role make it a rare testimony of industrial and seigneurial history.

Ranked a historic monument, it is visited from May to October. Close by, the Saulges caves, the medieval city of Sainte-Suzanne and the canyon of the Erve complete this heritage rich in history and preserved landscapes.

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