Discovery of water mills

The Paper Mill

Sainte-Suzanne

Begin your walk at the paper mill. Formerly the mill of the lords of Sainte-Suzanne, the Grand Moulin or Viscount's Mill was used to grind grain from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Today a traditional paper mill, the paper is made by hand following the traditions of the Master Papermakers in force between the 13th and 18th centuries.

The tannery

The tanneries are located close to the river because the hides had to be rinsed in water several times throughout the process, which lasted 12 to 15 months. First soaked in lime baths, the tanners first removed the flesh (fleshing) and hair (dehairing). In vats, the hides were then bathed in tannic water (water + tan) for several months, to make the leather rot-proof.

Saltière Spring

Sainte-Suzanne

As you continue on your way, take the time to explore the surrounding area. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to discover a charming tarot card, typical of the picturesque alleys of Sainte-Suzanne, hidden near the Paper Mill.

Next, cross the small bridge opposite an old tannery and follow the course of the Erve River. You will have the opportunity to pass by the Source de la Saltière, a fountain dating from 1792.

Continue along the path, in order to have a view of the medieval town of Sainte-Suzanne, from the lower part of the town.

Career

You are in the middle of the site of the former Sainte-Suzanne quarry, which was in operation until the 1950s. On both sides of the river, on the rocky slopes, is pink sandstone. This very solid stone was quarried for construction in general, but also for road paving, particularly in Paris, during the works of Baron Haussmann. The nearest house is that of the master quarryman. Further to the left, lost in the vegetation, was the old forge used for sharpening tools. To the right, there is a building containing the crusher designed to reduce sandstone blocks into small stones or gravel. Pieces of rock unusable by the paving cutters were brought here by carts positioned on rails. On the other side of the bridge, there is another house of a master quarryman. On this site, there were up to 7 quarrymen's houses, which shows the importance of the Sainte-Suzanne quarries in the XNUMXth and early XNUMXth centuries.

The Fulling Mill

The Roche du Pont-Neuf fulling mill was used to prepare cloth for clothing. Large woolen cloths, approximately 20 to 30 meters long and 1,10 meters wide, were transported to the fulling mills to be processed and prepared to subsequently make durable, even waterproof, clothing. The fabrics were soaked in tubs filled with clay, hot water, and urine to be washed and degreased. Mallets, called fullers, would strike the fabrics to wash and degrease them. The woolen cloths were then dried and then felted. It was estimated that a cloth had only been properly fulled after receiving 70 to 000 mallet blows!

A choice

A choisel is a small canal derived from the river, made of earth or wood, to power mills. Millers had to control the power and flow of the water to regulate the rotation of the wheel. These diversion canals allowed them to turn the wheel year-round. When the river was low, especially in summer, dams or a system of adjustable sluice gates on the choisel allowed water to accumulate upstream and release it with enough power to turn a wheel. Conversely, in winter, when the river is full and fast-flowing, the choisel allowed millers, thanks to its regulating sluice gates, to regulate the force of the water so that the wheel turned at a normal speed.

The birds

A choisel / choiseaux. Three mills that carried out different activities are located here. To your left, a barley mill. Next to it, you can see a wheat mill whose wheel location is still visible in the middle of the building. Continuing along Chemin des Dames, and in the garden to your right, there was a paper mill that no longer exists. You can see the water control valve that regulated the water flow and, in case of excess, sent it back to the river.

The mecanic

This mill dates back to the 15th century, and its first name was “the River Mill”. Originally a paper mill, it became a grain mill when it was rebuilt following a fire in 1709. At the beginning of the 20th century, the mill produced electricity. Later, the three brothers who lived in the mill (a lumberjack, a carpenter and an accountant) joined forces to transform the mill into a mechanical sawmill, powered by the mill wheel.

The Gohard mill

The Moulin du Gohard was once a paper mill. It produced approximately 600 reams of paper per year, each consisting of 500 sheets, or approximately 300 sheets of paper per year. This paper production was used for writing in the provinces of Maine and Anjou, but also for the manufacture of playing cards in the two card factories of Sainte-Suzanne. It was later converted into a wheat mill, and much later into a dwelling.

The washhouses

Many paths lead to the washhouse, an important living space for the women of the village. The washhouses are located on the banks of a river, allowing washerwomen* to come and wash, but especially to rinse the laundry. Rinsing required more water than washing, which could be done in basins inside the homes themselves. Here, we see two types of washhouses, a public one and a private one accessible only from the property's courtyard. Many private washhouses existed in Sainte-Suzanne, as long as the home was on the banks of a river or watercourse. The washhouses were also a social space for women, constituting rare spaces where they could meet and chat.

*A washerwoman refers to a woman who washed clothes. In the past, washing was done primarily using wood ash placed in a cloth bag.

The Petit Gohard Mill

The Moulin du Petit Gohard was built in the early 15th century to produce wheat flour. All that remains of this mill is the hydraulic system that still powers the wheel. The mill you see in front of you was later rebuilt in the 18th century as a paper mill. It was the last paper mill to operate until 1846. 25 years later, the prefect of Mayenne ordered its conversion into a tanning mill and tannery to produce more hides for the soldiers in Sainte-Suzanne. Thirteen people worked there, and this tannery operated until 1924. Directly opposite the mill was the master tanner's house.

Tan Mill

The term "tan" comes from the Gaulish word "tann," meaning "oak." Vital to tanneries, tanning mills produced powder by grinding the bark of young oak trees. This powder, concentrated in tannin, helped stabilize and preserve animal hides. To tan them, the hides were immersed for several weeks in vats filled with water and oak powder, the tan. After 12 to 15 months, the hides were ready, durable, and used for a variety of everyday purposes (clothing, horse saddles, etc.).

Chateau Gaillard

This manor house dates back to the 15th century. Behind it stands an old tanning mill.

Paper trough

This vat, formerly called a "pile," was used in the manufacture of paper. Pieces of used fabrics or ropes and nets, linen and hemp that had fermented for several days before, were placed inside to make paper pulp. The watermill wheel was used to operate wooden mallets, which plunged at regular intervals into this trough to shred and separate the fibers of the fabrics to make paper pulp. This process is still used today by the Papetier du Grand Moulin de Sainte-Suzanne.