Moulin à vent du Paradis

Moulin à vent du Paradis is a wooden post mill standing at the entrance to Sancheville, a small village in Eure-et-Loir, in the flat farmland of the Beauce plain. Listed as a historic monument, it survives as one of the last working examples of the region's once-numerous windmills.

Where did this windmill come from?

The mill did not always stand where it stands today. Its story begins at a spot known as Le Paradis, which gave the structure its name. According to the official Mérimée heritage record, the mill was built in the first half of the 18th century, with 1725 given as the construction date. Other heritage sources covering the mill note an earlier date, 1625, carved into the main beam (the bourdon), suggesting the structure went through significant rebuilding over the centuries — a common fate for wooden windmills that were repaired, re-timbered, and modernized generation after generation.

In 1827 the mill was bought by Joseph-Alphonse Daniel, and the Daniel family worked it until 1946, when milling finally stopped. The last miller, Henri Daniel, replaced the original wooden shaft with a steel shaft fitted with a metal head and a cast-iron wheel, an upgrade typical of the era when windmills raced to keep pace with steam-powered competitors.

How does this post mill work?

The Moulin du Paradis is a classic post mill: a timber cabin resting on four corner posts, pivoting as a whole around a central post to face the wind. On top sits a cap fitted with Berton-system wings — movable slatted shutters that the miller could open and close from inside the mill, even while it was running, to regulate how much wind power reached the sails. This mill's Berton system was fitted in 1938.

Inside, the mill is arranged over two levels. On the first level, to the left, stands the bolter, the sieve that separates bran from fine and coarse flour. The millstones sit on the second level alongside the metal shaft and the wooden gear wheel; a crown gear meshes with a pinion to drive a train of five wheels. On the ground floor there is a wooden cylindrical drum and a ball-bearing regulator that controls the gap between the millstones, an unusual feature for pivot mills of the Beauce region.

Why was the mill moved, and how was it saved?

In the late 1980s the mill was dismantled at its original site of Le Paradis and rebuilt at a spot called Sainte-Marie, right at the entrance to Sancheville. On 2 May 1991 the previous owner donated the mill to the municipality of Sancheville to keep it from being lost, and a local heritage association, the Association Sauvegarde Moulin Paradis, was formed to look after it. A full restoration followed in 1995, during which the original main shaft, base beam, and millstones were kept in place.

The mill's protected status as a monument historique dates to a decree of 4 July 1988; a second decree, issued 27 March 1996, formally addressed its change of location between cadastral plots.

Can visitors tour the Moulin à vent du Paradis?

Yes. The mill is open to visitors every Sunday and public holiday, from the first Sunday of April to the first Sunday of October, between 2:30pm and 6pm. Groups can also arrange weekday visits by appointment.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Moulin à vent du Paradis still standing on its original site? No. It originally stood at a place called Le Paradis, which is where its name comes from, before being moved to the entrance of Sancheville, at a spot called Sainte-Marie, in the late 1980s.

When can you visit the mill? On Sundays and public holidays from the first Sunday of April to the first Sunday of October, between 2:30pm and 6pm. Groups can book weekday visits in advance.

Who was the last miller? Henri Daniel, from the Daniel family, who had run the mill since it was bought by Joseph-Alphonse Daniel in 1827 until milling stopped in 1946.

Is the mill a protected historic monument? Yes. It has been listed as a monument historique since a decree of 4 July 1988, with a further decree in 1996 confirming its status after the relocation.