Moulin de Keriolet

Moulin de Keriolet is a restored water mill in Beuzec-Cap-Sizun, tucked into the valley of the Kériolet stream within the protected Pointe du Millier area, at the heart of the Cap Sizun peninsula in Finistère.

Where exactly is the mill, and how do you get there?

The mill sits in a narrow, green valley carved by the small Kériolet stream just before it reaches the Atlantic. The land belongs to the Conservatoire du Littoral, the French coastal protection agency, which is why the surrounding landscape has stayed largely untouched by development. The easiest approach is to head toward Pointe du Millier: road signs lead straight to a car park, from which it's roughly a 500-metre walk on foot through fields and coastal scrub typical of this part of Brittany to reach the mill itself.

What's the history behind it?

The mill was built in 1868. Its first wheel was a small horizontal one known as a pirouette — simpler to install but less efficient. Ten years later, in 1878, the miller upgraded the system, fitting a vertical wheel measuring 8 metres in diameter to make better use of the valley's steep drop and the force of its waterfall. The mill then ran for decades, powering two pairs of millstones that ground grain into flour for surrounding farms.

Production stopped in 1958. Yvon Le Brun, grandson of the man who had built the mill, dismantled both millstones and moved them to his own farm, where they were put to other uses. The building and its machinery then sat idle for over two decades until the Conservatoire du Littoral took ownership in 1982–1983, bringing the whole valley under protection.

Why is the mill running again today?

A restoration project, carried out with support from the Beuzec-Cap-Sizun municipality, took about a year to bring the mechanism back to working order. Because the original millstones had already been repurposed, the restoration used replacement stones recovered from the mill at Lochrist. The rebuilt mill was formally reopened on 14 June 2008, with Yvon Le Brun — the same man who had shut it down fifty years earlier — presiding over the inauguration. The mill remains the property of the Conservatoire du Littoral and is open to visitors free of charge.

When can you visit?

Moulin de Keriolet is open daily from April through the end of September, from 10am to noon and again from 2pm to 6pm. Admission is free. During this season the mechanism is typically shown in motion, giving visitors a close look at the waterwheel and millstones performing the same grinding process that supplied local families with flour for more than a century.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

The Kériolet valley and the neighbouring Pointe du Millier are part of a wider stretch of protected Cap Sizun coastline, known for its cliffs and coastal footpaths with sweeping Atlantic views. A visit to the mill pairs easily with a short walk to the headland's viewpoint, a few hundred metres beyond the car park in the opposite direction.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee? No, admission to Moulin de Keriolet is free throughout its opening season.

What are the opening hours? The mill is open daily from April to the end of September, from 10am–12pm and 2pm–6pm.

How do you get there by car? Head toward Pointe du Millier — road signs lead to a car park, from which a roughly 500-metre path leads on to the mill.

Does the mill still work mechanically? Yes. Following the 2008 restoration, the mechanism was brought back into working condition, and the waterwheel and millstones can be seen operating.