THE WATERMILL

In our region, where water is abundant, a lot of wawaterwatermillster mills were built: some to make flour (wheat, rye and buckwheat), somesome tttoto press oil (walnut, hazelhazelnutnutnutnut and hempseed), or to action a water powered sawsaw....

Vitruve, an antique roman from the ffirstirst century BC,BC, was the first to think of using hydraulichydraulic energy to power a mill. ButBut it was only during the IXth century AD and the carolingcarolingiancaroling ian dynasty thatthat watermills becabecameme a reality.

In the Middle Ages, all those mills belonged to the gentry, who mamamadema de them available to their subjects on payment of a tax, the « banalité »»»,», which was paid in money, services or payment in kkindind.ind ...

Thereafter, most mills changed hands. They became the millersmillers’property’property’property,, and tradition was lost. But one could still find, asE.asE.GuillaumeGuillaume reminds us in his book about the High DorDordognedogne Valley XVIIIth century millsmills,, a few mills belonging to old aristocratic families, still asking for a “banalité” for their use. “““If“If the « moulin du Gris »»» waswaswas owned by Mr ChaleilChaleil,, miller, and his famifamily,ly, the mills in la Bourboule and La Vernière still belongbelongedededed to the Lord of Murat who received an important rent”. And the author outlines : «: « FFFlourFlour and hemp mills in La Bourboule were subject to a four year lease signed in 1728 forforfor a renrenrentren t of 10 silver popounds,unds, 15 setiers of wheatwheat,, 18 pounds of combed hemp and 4 pairs of chicken. The millers, Alix Babut, his son Michel Airagne and his sonson----inininin----lawlawlawlaw Jean AubierAubier,,,, alsoalsoalso agreed to grind the LLord’sord’s grain for free ».».».