Don't miss the the Dolmen of the Bay of Briande with its incredible view over the peninsula of Taillat.

100 meters from the Dolmen, at the foot of the peninsula of Taillat, you will discover a strange building partly restored : the custom's house. It belongs to the Coastal Preservation Society which also supervizes and protects the three listed capes of : Lardier, Taillat and Camarat.

THE WINDMILL OF PAILLAS

History
The windmill of Paillas is a major element of the national heritage of Ramatuelle. It was restored in 2002 with a new mechanism made traditionally of wood and a millstone ready to grind corn. The mill is situated on the road that goes to Gassin at the top of the village of Ramatuelle with a panoramic view over the coast from Cavalaire to Saint-Tropez.
The local builders chose the windy hilltop of Castellas as the best site to build the windmills of Ramatuelle.

Visit of the windmill : -Celebrations at the windmill -The windmill and the sky -Ruins of a windmill -Postcard of a windmill

Between the 16th and the 19th centuries 5 windmills were built there. Today only ruins are left except for the windmill of Paillas which was built in the 19th century. The name Paillas was that of the first miller of Ramatuelle called Jean- Baptiste Paillas who came from a rich family of local farmers.

At the end of the 19th century the industrial flour mills took over and the windmills were no longer used.
It took a whole century for one of the mills of Ramatuelle to be finally back into use again, exactly in the old tradional way.

The visit

The windmill is built in three parts : the base, the tower and the roof. The windmills of Provence are characteristic in that their whole roof turns with the wind.

Inside the mill 2 sets of small beams cross each other to support the framework of the roof.

A main beam crosses the middle of the mill : it is the driving shaft on which the sails are mounted. The shaft is maintained by a part called the prison. Around the perimeter of the tower there is a gorge into which fits a ball race. This ball race can move thanks to wheels fitting into slots. These wheels are well oiled so the whole roof can turn.
When the sails outside start turning they move the driving shaft which drives the big cogged wheel called "Rouet".

The corn is poured into the hopper, then goes through the bucket wheel and then onto the millstones. The stones are in two parts : a fixed stone and a top stone to grind the corn. The millstone has grooves so that the crushed corn can fall into the box. The flour is pushed to the mouth of the box by a little metal part called "l'éventail".


The big iron fits into a metal piece that crosses the support of the millstone, the "anille". Situated under the top stone it is not visible. It lifts the millstone via another metal part called the small iron.


The small iron serves as a pivot to the whole system : its is formed of circular metal piece fitting into a bronze box . It is oiled to avoid wear.
Around the "rouet" there is a braking system. A brake shoe blocks the sails once the mill is at a standstill.
A wheel at the bottom of the mill is used to increase or decrease the space between the millstones. To sart the mill the stones must be well apart and then closer together to grind the corn.