Moulin à vent d'Ymonville

The Moulin à vent d'Ymonville (also known as the Moulin de la Garenne) is a wooden post windmill standing in Ymonville, a small commune in the Beauce region of the Eure-et-Loir department. It is one of the last surviving witnesses of an era when the flat plains of Beauce were dotted with thousands of windmills grinding grain for the whole region.

What kind of windmill is this, and where does its shape come from?

The Moulin de la Garenne is a classic Beauce-style post mill: the entire wooden body, rectangular and prism-shaped, pivots on a post resting on a masonry base that once served as a grain store. This design let the whole mill body swing to face the wind from any direction, rather than just the cap rotating as on masonry tower mills. Its four sails use hinged wooden slats instead of the usual canvas, letting the miller adjust wind capture directly from inside the structure — a detail typical of Beauce windmills. This pivoting mill design first appeared in the region as early as the 11th century and remained the backbone of local milling for centuries.

What is the history behind this particular mill?

The current building was erected in 1839. It operated continuously until 1946, when its last active miller died. Ymonville once had four windmills, and the Moulin de la Garenne is the only one still standing today. One of the other mills burned down in June 1940, when German soldiers set it alight while trying to flush out French soldiers hiding inside. The Moulin de la Garenne itself carries its own wartime story: during the German occupation, it kept milling grain secretly, bypassing occupation-era requisitions.

How did the windmill survive to the present day?

Once milling stopped, the building fell into disrepair. In 1961, Mademoiselle de Pahlen founded the Association des Amis des Moulins d'Ymonville (Association of Friends of the Windmills of Ymonville), which took on its restoration. The effort was recognized in 1966 with the "Chefs-d'œuvre en péril" award, given to endangered heritage monuments. On 26 July 1988, the windmill was formally listed as a French historic monument. Today the commune and the local association maintain the building, presenting it as a living monument to Beauce's milling history rather than a static museum piece.

Where is the windmill and how can you visit it?

The Moulin de la Garenne stands at 10 Chemin des Gailloux in Ymonville, on a fenced property. Visits are generally arranged in advance by phone, though the mill also opens to the public on the third Sunday of each month from April to October — visitors on those days can often see the sails turning and get an explanation of how the milling mechanism works.

Why is this windmill worth a visit?

It offers a rare close-up look at a construction type that once defined the Beauce landscape — a region that counted roughly 1,789 windmills before the French Revolution, of which only around fifteen survive today. A visit to Ymonville means encountering a genuine piece of milling heritage, saved through decades of volunteer restoration work rather than a rebuilt tourist attraction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the windmill be visited year-round? No — public visits mainly happen on the third Sunday of each month between April and October; outside those dates, a phone appointment is needed.

How is this different from a classic Dutch-style windmill? It is a post mill: the entire wooden body rotates on its base, unlike masonry tower mills where only the cap turns.

Does the windmill still work? During open days the sails are set in motion to demonstrate the historic milling mechanism to visitors.

How many windmills like this survive in the Beauce region? Of nearly 1,789 windmills that stood in Beauce before the French Revolution, only about fifteen remain today, making the Moulin de la Garenne a particularly significant survivor.