Prochain point : lat="49.10247124997612" lon="1.8386120203969725"
THE OLD MILL
Powered by the Guiry stream
The ruins...
The source of the Guiry stream is located near the Saint Romain lavoir. This stream joins the Défonce stream, which springs from a source in the Bois de Morcal, to form the Aubette de Meulan river. This 14.3 kilometre river, winds from the north-west to the south-west, across alternating landscapes of valleys, wooded areas, and the agricultural lands and urban zones of the Seine valley, where it joins that river at Meulan-en-Yvelines.
While some parts of the walls of the old mill still stand, most of the structure is in ruin. A dike more than a hundred meters long was built, doubtless before the 15th century, to hold back the river’s waters. Its uniform stones were pointed with a mortar of finely ground tiles.
...of a seigneurial mill
For centuries, mills were so much part of the landscape, they were used as landmarks for the first geographical maps drawn up by Cassini in the 18th century. This map was the first general map of the French kingdom to be based on geographical surveys.
This water mill was the initially built to mill grains. In the 11th century, Hugues de Guiry ceded part of it to the Juziers and Villarceaux monasteries. The other sections were rented to various communities and individuals. It was purchased in the 16th century by Lord Gilles de Guiry and later rented to individual leaseholders. The last known lease is dated March 24, 1778. The mill ceased operations in 1899, after over 8 centuries of existance.
