Initial construction 1834-1850 (≈ 1842)
Edited by Pierre Godefroy near an old mill.
1939-1945
End of milling activity
End of milling activity 1939-1945 (≈ 1942)
Stopped after World War II.
vers 1950
Wing removal
Wing removal vers 1950 (≈ 1950)
Removal of wings and head.
24 juin 1975
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 24 juin 1975 (≈ 1975)
Official protection of the mill.
4e quart XIXe siècle
Modernisation of the mill
Modernisation of the mill 4e quart XIXe siècle (≈ 1987)
Overelevation and addition of Berton wings.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Moulin des Landes (Case B 885) : entry by order of 24 June 1975
Key figures
Pierre Godefroy - Owner and manufacturer
Built the mill between 1834 and 1850.
Origin and history
The Landes Mill is a mill-tour built in Bégrolles-en-Mauges, in the department of Maine-et-Loire, between 1834 and 1850 by Pierre Godefroy. It was built a few meters south of an old mill dating back to the late eighteenth century. Initially operating with sail wings operating a single pair of wheels, it was modernized in the last quarter of the 19th century: its tower was raised by two floors, and it was equipped with Berton wings and three pairs of wheels. This type of development reflects the technical progress of milling at that time, aimed at increasing production capacity.
Mill milling ceased shortly after World War II (1939-1945), marking the end of its industrial use. The wings and head of the tree were disassembled around 1950, but all the internal mechanisms, exceptionally preserved, still remain today. The building, covered with a conical slate roof, is distinguished by its four floors and its curved windows arranged in opposite spans. A niche surmounted by a brick cross, probably intended to house a statue of patron saint, bears witness to the functional and symbolic appearance of the mills in the French countryside.
Listed under the title of historical monuments by order of 24 June 1975, the Landes mill illustrates the rural industrial heritage of Anjou. Its preservation offers a tangible testimony to the milling techniques of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as to their gradual decline in the face of agricultural modernization. The site, although closed to visit according to available sources, remains an architectural and historical landmark for the commune of Bégrolles-en-Mauges and the region of Pays de la Loire.
