Shadow Dragon

Moulin B

October 2025 | France | Extant

A small watermill in the depths of Brittany.

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HISTORY: there is not a huge amount of history about this watermill other than the fact it was recorded in 1653. Architectural evidence in the fabric of the building points to origins in the 16th century (the Gothic ogee lintel in the doorway), however, as is the case with many water mills, it is highly possible that the mill’s origins date much further back. The building has been visibly restored and remodelled a few times – an adjacent miller’s house was built in what I would guess was the 18th century due to the masonry. The milling equipment is largely intact, except for the stones. The pit wheels and driving gears were replaced in the 19th century – they are identical to those of the Moulin R, so I would assume they were made by the same millwright.

A now dried up mill pond fed two overshot water wheels. The eastern wheel drove two pairs of stones, and the western wheel drove a single pair of stones. Today, the stones are gone but much of the machinery is intact and extant. A fantastic blue painted wooden millstone surround survives intact in the upper floor of the mill.

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THE EXPLORE: an early wake up for me as it was my 25th birthday! I listened to the dawn chorus of birds, and the distant church bells ringing at 7am for the Angelus before getting myself ready. I arrived at the mill at dawn and slipped inside. People live on site so I didn’t want to hang around for too long. Prior to my 25th birthday, only my head and shoulders had ever been inside this mill, because each time I went past it, my mother would refuse to allow me near it! 18 years later, I finally got inside the mill. Enjoy the photos!

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