Moulin de la Bruère

The Bruère mill in La Flèche dates back to 1096, when Hubert des Pouliers, Lord of Sainte-Colombe, authorised the monks of the local priory to build a mill and lock on the Loir. The current foundations date from the 14th century. In 1614, Guillaume Fouquet de la Varenne, Lord of La Flèche, acquired the mill. At the beginning of the 19th century, three mills coexisted on the site, but only the one on the river bank remained after the others were abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century. The mill was used for a variety of purposes: flour, threshing hemp and clover, fulling cloth, sawing wood and pressing oil. In 1832, part of the mill became a paper mill. In the early 20th century, it produced electricity and, from 1936, ice for cooling. Following its closure in 1992, the local council bought the mill in 1994 and entrusted its management to the "Friends of the Bruère Mill" association in 1995, with a view to preserving its heritage. A great deal of work has been carried out by the association. Since 1999, it has been the last mill in France to produce ice loaves. In 2020, a micro-hydropower station was commissioned with the installation of a metal wheel, enabling the mill to produce an average of 77 megawatt-hours per year (equivalent to the energy consumption of 15 French households). All of this production is currently consumed by the municipal buildings, helping to reduce energy costs.