Shadow Dragon

Moulin R

October 2025 | France | Extant

One of my formative explores that cemented my love of derelict buildings.

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HISTORY: this watermill has its origins in the 17th century as an estate mill. In 1786, three quarters of a century after the nearby chateau was rebuilt, the mill was extended. By this point it was equipped with three overshot water wheels driving a pair of stones each. Given this high production capacity it can be assumed that the mill was very important to the local area.

At some point in the 19th century, one of the water wheels was retired and the eastern milling set was remodelled so that the wheel powered two pairs of millstones instead of one – the other wheel (the middle water wheel) was left driving one pair of grinding stones only. The milling machinery on the newer set is identical to that of the Moulin B, so I can safely assume it was the same millwright. The mill was in operation until sometime in the 20th century. After milling ceased, the water wheels were removed and the eastern wheel’s shaft aperture was bricked up. At the same time the millstones were removed. The mill has lain derelict since and there are no plans for its restoration.

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THE EXPLORE: having grown up near this mill, it was a regular sight for me. I had been inside it a handful of times as a child, with the last time being in 2008 when I was eight years old. Of course, back then I did not have a camera so I didn’t have any photos to show for it. Fast forward 17 years to 2025… I returned, this time armed with my DSLR! Access was exactly as it had been all those years ago. However, it was a lot tighter thanks to having effectively doubled in size in the intervening years! The interior had not changed one bit in 17 years, except for a collapsed beam on the upper floor. Enjoy the photos!

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