Moulin de la Colimassière

Moulin de la Colimassière is a tower windmill standing in Cherrueix, a small commune on the shore of Mont-Saint-Michel bay in Brittany, France. It is the best known of the several windmills scattered around the village and one of the emblematic features of a landscape long shaped by the bay's steady winds.

Where is it and what does it look like?

The Moulin de la Colimassière rises on flat, open ground just behind the reclaimed coastal meadows (polders), with an unbroken view stretching toward the bay. It is a tower-type mill built of local granite — a solid, cylindrical structure typical of the windmills raised along this coast during the 19th century. Nearby, within the same stretch of countryside, stand the other windmills of Cherrueix, including the Moulin de la Saline and the Moulin des Mondrins, together forming a cluster that is visible from a distance.

Why were so many windmills built here?

The area around Cherrueix has long been known for unusually steady winds blowing in from Mont-Saint-Michel bay, and it was this reliability that encouraged local millers to keep building new mills, taking advantage of conditions that farms further inland simply did not have. The Colimassière mill was raised in the same spirit as the others in the commune — part of a small network of windmills serving the coastal farmland.

What is its history?

The mill kept working until 1954, a relatively late date by local standards — most windmills in the area had already stopped operating by the 1930s. After years of standing idle and deteriorating, the structure underwent restoration work that saw it fitted again with sails, giving it back its recognisable silhouette. Today the Moulin de la Colimassière is listed as a protected historic monument, recognised as a witness to Brittany's rural industrial heritage.

Can visitors go inside?

No — the mill is private property and is not open to visitors. It can, however, be freely admired from the outside while walking or cycling along the roads and paths that run through the surrounding countryside near the bay. It is from this outdoor vantage point — set against the flat polder landscape and the wide sky over the bay — that the Colimassière makes the strongest impression, and it is easy to see why it has become the unofficial symbol of Cherrueix.

What else is worth seeing nearby?

A visit to the Colimassière pairs naturally with a short tour of the other windmills in the commune — the Moulin de la Saline and the Moulin des Mondrins stand close by, and together they form a kind of informal "windmill trail" through Cherrueix. The surrounding area is also popular with kitesurfers and coastal walkers, and on clear days the silhouette of the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey can be seen on the horizon across the bay.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the Moulin de la Colimassière? No, it is a private building not open to the public — it can only be viewed from the outside.

When did the mill stop working? It operated until 1954, after which it ceased commercial activity.

Does the windmill still have its sails? Yes — after a period of neglect, the structure was restored and fitted again with sails.

How do you get to the mill? It stands in the commune of Cherrueix in Ille-et-Vilaine, on the shore of Mont-Saint-Michel bay, close to the other local windmills, the Moulin de la Saline and the Moulin des Mondrins.