Moulin Saint-Roch, Windmill in Grimaud, France

Moulin Saint-Roch is a windmill in Grimaud, Var, built in the 18th century. Its round tower is of rough light-coloured stone, topped by a dark conical roof of vertical wooden slats with a small metal rod and crossbar. A rectangular window with dark mullions sits on the front face, and a dark wooden double door is reached by a short flight of stone steps. The blade assembly, an open wooden lattice of two long rails crossed by many rungs, is attached to the tower by a wooden housing.

Moulin Saint-Roch was built in the 18th century as one of four windmills in Grimaud, alongside nine water mills that also ground flour. Its roof, sails and mechanism were restored in the 1990s. The mills stopped working at the start of the 20th century.

In front of the mill lies the threshing floor, where horses trampled sheaves of wheat and sometimes pulled a stone roller to speed the work. The grain was then carried inside and ground between two stone millstones. The sails had to be covered with cloth to catch the wind.

Visiting requires advance booking through Grimaud's town hall, as the municipality arranges guided tours regularly throughout the year. Contact them beforehand to check availability and confirm timing for your visit.

The mill's sails, called "antennes" in French, had to be covered with cloth to catch the wind. In front of the building lies the threshing floor where horses trampled sheaves of wheat, sometimes dragging a stone roller to speed the work.