Sachas' Mill

This mill, built in the 18th century, enabled families from Villard-Saint-Pancrace to grind their flour. It had two millstones, one with a metal shaft and the other with a wooden shaft, dating from 2 different eras.
The mill ceased to operate during the German occupation in 1943.

These two millstones and rods included twenty paddles to receive the water, and a hopper fixed to the floor above the millstones to receive the grain. Over the years, it was perfected to produce flour of two different qualities. The flour, which was then discharged through a chute into a wooden bar, passed through a sieve to separate the flour from the wheat grain husk known as "bran".

This mill produced a characteristic noise, due in particular to the clattering of the belts on the two millstones, the friction of the gears and the water that fell from the wheel to give the necessary force to grind the wheat.

A dozen families from Villard-Saint-Pancrace came to grind their flour and maintain the mill.
The children and women took care of the "corvée" of the canal bringing the water from the Ton canal to the mill. This involved cleaning, cutting, mowing and weeding the canal to ensure that the water reached the mill.

Restoration of the machinery will enable visitors to see the mill in operation, and discover its history, intimately linked with the lives of the village's inhabitants from 1732 to 1943. A press is also present, although it no longer works, and was used to make marmot oil and walnut oil. The building has been restored as closely as possible to its former glory, allowing the site to relive the nuances of its past.