Les Cassés : Windmill

The mill is mentioned on an old map of the diocese of Saint-Papoul, produced in 1781. The Tower of the Moulin is probably older than that date. The lintel displays the year 1835, which seems to indicate that it is a simple repair. The mechanism was replaced in 1865, but it still follows the traditional model with hardwood gear movements. Originally, this mill had four blades. The tower is tronconic in shape and built in non -cut rubble. A single window is located just above the door. The roof, conical and with a strong slope, can rotate and is crowned by a small pinnacle with a ball, a cross and a weather vane. During its use, it is kept in place by a wooden plan inserted in a zinc gutter. The two remaining blades support a wild wooden frame. This frame bears a canvas made up of eight pieces, adjusted as a function of the force of the wind. The mechanism is activated by a powerful axis tilted in raw oak and wooden wheels which multiply the movement thanks to boxwood gears. Two vertical iron axes, each causing a wheel, turn separately, unable to operate at the same time. One of the grinders is used to grind corn, while the other is intended for wheat, the casts occurring at different seasons of the year.