Sentiers du Patrimoine ®
Chaussy
Remonter la rue des Mollettes et continuer tout droit (laisser un chemin sur votre gauche). A l’embranchement, prendre le chemin le plus à droite. Le descendre jusqu’à la table de lecture des paysages.
Table de lecture (anciens vergers et vignobles)
Prochain point : lat="49.124043" lon="1.697762"
One of the sources of Chaussy stream can be found within the annexes of the ancient Benedictine Abbey. The stream crosses a prairie and enters the Villarceaux estate where it forms two lakes. The second, with a surface area of around 4 hectares, is also feed by other sources springing up in the park. Chaussy stream then crosses the village where it is joined by Chesnaie stream and flows eastward until it reaches the Epte river.
Three of these mills are located in the heart of the village, the fourth being the old communal mill belonging to the Villarceaux estate. The latter, visible on the 1745 “maps of the land of Villarceaux”, was initially a flour mill and was transformed into a timber mill in the 19th century. The hydraulic rams built beside the mill allowed water to be transported to the manor above.
In 1808, the local council received an application for a permit to build a flour mill on the Chesnaie stream, with water intake from a local lake. Two subsequent applications were received in 1817 for the Chaussy mill and the Carreaux mill. The first to be built was the Carreaux mill, used to make brown paper for wrapping sugar and candles. In 1859, the paper mill became a polished steel factory, principally supplying a jeweller's shop. The Chaussy mill, then located on the Chaussy farm property, was built to mill flour.
For decades petitions circulated regarding conflicts between the mill owners and also with the inhabitants. Among other things, these concerned the dam works, the water flow required for each activity and water quality.