Le Lavoir du Moulin

The Ile-de-France region boasts many mills, particularly in the Yvelines region (78). The Richebourg mill is part of an architectural ensemble dating back to the medieval period. Over the centuries, the buildings were enlarged and restored until the 19th century. The Richebourg mill is mentioned in the Port Royal cartulary (13th century). In 1206, the complex was donated to Port Royal Abbey by the Bishop of Paris. The mills produced flour and tiles. It is said that the monks of Bazainville had the Salceron stream, which runs through Richebourg, modified to enable the mills to operate more efficiently. This kind of land modification was not regulated, and everyone diverted the waterways as they saw fit. At Richebourg, it’s easy to see the impact of the human hand in deviating the course of the water, with several right angles and bends. In 1745, Comte de Cossé-Brissac, lieutenant-general of King Louis XV’s armies and high justiciar of Saulx-Richebourg, became the owner of the château, farm and mill at Richebourg. He increased the flow of the Sausseron and created the Honnins washhouse. In 1750, the notarial deed states that the mill has 2 wheels and 4 millstones, demonstrating the importance of the Sausseron in the 18th century. Its flow diminished with the rise of the Industrial Revolution and the construction of the Avre aqueduct in March 1893, which supplied Paris with drinking water. The project’s chief engineer was none other than Fulgence Bienvenüe, one of the designers and builders of the Paris metro. The mill soon ceased to operate, however, due to the low strength of the water and new industrial techniques for grinding and producing raw materials. Today, the Richebourg mill has been given a new lease of life, and life is returning to the heart of this rural heritage building.