Fall

Cougnaguet is a medieval fortified mill powered by turbines, well thought out, secure, and with many clever features. It has been producing flour since about 1350 and still continues to do so. You discover the miller’s living quarters, a wonderful glimpse into the past social history of the mill. Inside you can still see the differents parts that make up the original mechanism of the mill :

- The "toad' made of bronze, which supports the vertical axle in its socket under the water,
- the wooden "cushion" which sits on the lower "sleepin" millstone
- the sheave that drives the upper millstone
- the wooden pinion that fans out the grain
- and several chisel to make the grooves in the stones , which had to bereworked regulary.

The mill revolves at a speed of 80 turns minute. It can grind 80 kg of grain in an hour, and with all four mills working, it is possible to grind up to 3 tonnes of grain in a day. Each millstone weighs about 1.5 tonnes.

Levers were used to adjust the height of the upper stone and thus regulate the fineness of the flour. The flow of the grain was regulated by alterning the angle of the plank. The force of the water coming through the conduits is the equivalent of a 9 hp motor.

The blutoir is used for sieving the flour into various grades. The chimney opposite the door helped to get rid of the dust, whick could otherwise cause an explosion.

Entrance

Gates

Sheave

Pulleys

Milestones

Bucket grain

Pinion

Blutoir

Balance

River Ouysse