Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The water mill in Maintenay came into being in the 12th century, in the Authie Valley, near the Valloires Abbey on which it depended. Destroyed during the Hundred Years War, it was probably rebuilt in the 18th century. This site, marked by a long industrial history, illustrates the evolution of milling and sawmill techniques in the region.

In the 19th century, the mill was used for the production of flour, with major works such as the construction of a dam. The miller's house, in torch-shaped and tiled, bears witness to this period. In 1930, the farming industry ceased and the mill was transformed into a sawmill, with the addition of a building made of wood and torchi. This new activity continued until 1975.

In the 1990s, the ensemble was restored and took on a new cultural and craft vocation: a museum was set up in the mill, and a bakery was built there. The facades and roofs of the mill and sawmill have been protected since 2011, highlighting their heritage value. Today, the site combines industrial memory and local dynamism.

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