The Old Mill of Vernon, Vernon, France

The old mill of Vernon, a half-timbered construction, lies straddling two piers of the ancient bridge over the Seine River. Several mills like this one used to be operating on the river all along the old wooden bridge. This bridge itself was built in the 12th century, the mill is probably in the 16th century. The old bridge has been destroyed and rebuilt several times in the middle age. It was very unsafe and was definitively detroyed in the beginning of the 19th century. Then it was replaced by a stone bridge in 1861.

Destroyed during the war in 1870 it was rebuilt in 1872 and then bombed in 1940. So the bridge you cross today to go from Vernon to Giverny is the fourth generation. It was built in 1955. The mechanism used to be a pending wheel like Saint Jean mill, a nearby mill now destroyed, or like the mill of Muids. Between 1925 and 1930, the old mill belonged to a revue spectacular composer, Jean Nouguès, who managed a dancing on a barge moored nearby. In 1930 he sold it to an American, William Griffin.

After the death of William Griffin in 1947 the city of Vernon tried to find his heirs but did not succeed. The mill was damaged by the bombings of 1940 and 1944. It was about to fall into the Seine River when the city of Vernon undertook its salvage. Now the old mill is a symbol of Vernon. It has been represented thousands of times by painters, even by Claude Monet.

References:

giverny.org

User Reviews

Gabriela Crncic (2 years ago)
Beautiful old mill ❤️

That Dashcam Guy (2 years ago)
I really cool stop if you are in the area.

Bart Van den Bosch (2 years ago)
Just saw it on the outside. There's a bit of a park there's where you can rest and enjoy the view.

Crypto Bro (2 years ago)
Amazing piece of history .. veryvrelaxed and calm in the park

Terry Palin (2 years ago)
While biking to Giverny, we stopped just over the bridge and had a delightful picnic lunch, just my group, one goose, and two rather insistent ducks. The bossier of the two ducks was not the least bit leary of humans and was very keen on asking for handouts. Of course, we gave in. The goose was less insistent (of which I am glad - he was pretty intimidating). But this is supposed to be about the old mill. It is lovely and looks as though it originally sat next to an old bridge; pilings can be seen a ways into the river. The mill is built in what I would (probably incorrectly) call the English style of exposed beems and plaster (I'm not an architect or builder). Very classic. It stands just dozen the way from a stone tower which might have guarded the river and bridge at one time. If you are hiking or biking to Giverny, stop by this park and see these striking buildings. And take some bread for my duck friend.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

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The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

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