Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem
Monument
Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem, located in Mentque-Nortbécourt (Pas-de-Calais), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Mentque-Nortbécourt, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.7773, 2.1159
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00108345
A rare remnant of a windmill on the Audomar plain, the Inglinghem mill has watched over the Pas-de-Calais countryside for centuries, a silent testimony to the milling economy that shaped the rural world of Flanders.
History
In the heart of the Artesian bocage, between Ardres and Saint-Omer, the remains of the Inglinghem windmill stand out like a beacon in the open landscape of the Mentque-Nortbécourt commune. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1977, this vestige belongs to a family of windmills typical of the Pas-de-Calais region, where the flatness of the land and the constant north-westerly winds made them the essential engines of flour production for centuries. What sets the Inglinghem mill apart is precisely its rarity: where so many others were dismantled, burnt down or fell victim to the two world wars that ravaged this border region, its remains are one of the last remaining examples of rural milling architecture on the Saint-Omer plain. The site retains the masonry rotunda characteristic of the tower mills of Flanders, whose truncated silhouette is a reminder of the dense milling activity that once animated these plains. A visit to the Inglinghem mill means immersing yourself in a quiet, unspoilt area of hedged farmland, far from the main tourist routes. The attentive walker can see the organisation of an ancient agricultural land: the paths that converge on the site of the mill, the plots of land that have been remembersed but are still visible in the landscape, everything reminds us that this high point once concentrated the economic life of an entire hamlet. The natural setting reinforces the emotion of the place. Surrounded by meadows and hedgerows typical of the Audomarois region, the mill offers photographers a remarkable composition in the golden hours, when the low northern light accentuates the relief of the ancient masonry. Whether you're an enthusiast of rural heritage or a keen walker, this discreet site rewards those who know how to get off the beaten track.
Architecture
The mill at Inglinghem belongs to the family of tower mills, the dominant architectural type in French Flanders and Artois from the 17th century onwards. Unlike the all-wooden pivot mills, which turned on themselves, the tower mill consisted of a fixed masonry rotunda on which only the upper cap bearing the wings pivoted. This technical solution, which was more robust and spacious, made it possible to install several tiers of mechanisms and was more resistant to the elements. The building was constructed using traditional local materials: limestone rubble for the lower foundations, and red brick of regional manufacture for the facings, all bonded with lime. The tower, which is circular in plan, has a slight fruiting (narrowing towards the top) that gives it its characteristic, slightly conical silhouette. The openings - windows with straight lintels and an entrance door surmounted by a relieving arch - follow the functional layout imposed by the internal organisation of the millstones and gears. In its present state, the Inglinghem mill has lost its wings, its revolving bonnet and most of its internal mechanisms. The masonry rotunda remains, however, in a sufficiently good state to allow the original volume to be read and the quality of the joinery to be appreciated. This type of vestige is precious because it illustrates a construction technique that regional craftsmen mastered to perfection, adapting Flemish principles to the material resources of the Pas-de-Calais.
Related Figures
Seigneur d'Inglinghem (Moyen Âge) — propriétaire originel présumé du droit de mouture sur le hameauMeuniers anonymes des XVIIe-XIXe siècles — exploitants successifs qui firent vivre le moulin durant son âge d'orPropriétaires révolutionnaires (post-1789) — acquéreurs des biens meuniers libérés de la banalité féodaleInspecteurs des Monuments historiques (années 1970) — acteurs de la procédure d'inscription de 1977 qui sauva le site
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem located?
Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem is located in Mentque-Nortbécourt, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem built?
Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem open to visitors?
Restes du moulin à vent d'Inglinghem is currently closed to visitors.