The owners of a mill conversion in Brittany are appealing for help to shed light on its working past.
Sue Harper, 64, and her husband Bob, 73, both originally from Portsmouth, UK, painstakingly turned a derelict mill in Louvigné-du-Désert (Ille-et-Vilaine) into a comfortable home while preserving its historical charm.
It also serves as a welcome stop for hikers and pilgrims walking the route to Mont Saint-Michel.
Sue, who moved permanently to the village in 2017, met Bob decades earlier.
“We’ve known each other since we were 18,” she says. “I worked in a bank, and he was a customer. We were always friends, and we married 15 years ago.”
Bob and Sue (back) with a backpacker (front)Sue and Bob Harper
Bob, a retired heating engineer, purchased the mill 30 years ago, drawn to the potential of the crumbling structure.
“I snapped it up for €6,000,” he recalls. (It’s now worth €220,000).
“The buildings outside were falling down, the roof leaking, the bief (mill race) filled with mud and stones – we had to remove 700 tons of rubbish.
“I didn’t think much about it; other people had viewed it, but I knew from my experience in construction that I could restore it. You couldn’t get a shed for that price in Portsmouth.”
Bob gutted the mill, found a local architect, and sought external approvals, careful not to spoil the building’s character.
He sourced materials far and wide, including reclaimed radiators, oak planks, and parquet flooring from a P&O Ferries office conversion.
“I knew people in the right places - a reclamation yard in Portsmouth, friends who would help me transport materials,” he says.
“I even bought octagonal terracotta tiles from a brocante - 22 square metres for €200, which I used in the kitchen and hallway. Every detail has a story.”
As it was before conversionSue and Bob Harper
The mill’s history fascinates them both.
“Originally, it had three wheels,” Bob explains, “but a fire broke out with its previous owner, a farmer and he rebuilt it with a vertical turbine that powered the milling machines.
“There’s a bief, that runs through the field, which people used to swim in. Pilgrims and locals would transport flour across the area, paying tolls in salt rather than money.
The mill in the snowSue and Bob Harper
“During World War Two, the Germans took the best flour for their army, leaving the village with the rest.”
They have spoken with locals who remember the mill in operation until 1963.
“People used to work around the clock; it would close on Sunday lunchtime and reopen at midnight,” Sue says.
“We’re always looking for old photographs from before it closed. It’s incredible to hear the stories.”
Life at ‘Le Moulin du Pont’ is a mix of hard work, hospitality, and immersion in nature.
The couple often meet pilgrims and hikers on the Mont Saint-Michel route, offering coffee, water refills, or a place to rest.
“We chat with everyone who stops by, help locals move donkeys across the bridge, and enjoy seeing the route come alive,” Sue says.
“It’s wonderful to be part of this living history.”
Scenic surroundings
“We’ve got a Bramley apple tree, mirabelle plums, lots of fruit and vegetables,” Sue says.
“I’ve rediscovered baking, and there’s always something growing. Bob spends hours on projects – clearing the garden, improving walls, moving soil. We never get bored.”
Wildlife is abundant: “We see red squirrels, deer, wild boar – things I would never see in Portsmouth, where we lived behind a football stadium. It’s a slower pace of life, and we love it.”
Bob reflects on the feeling of home they have created: “When you live somewhere like this, you feel at peace. We’ve had a lot of good times and fun here. It’s our home, even if it’s not a working mill anymore.”
For visitors, the mill and its surrounding land is a point of curiosity and inspirationSue and Bob Harper
“People stop all the time to take photographs,” Sue says.
“The mill sits beautifully in the valley, with the sound of the river and birds - no passing traffic. “We’ve had the King of France connected to the mill in the 12th Century, a chapel overlooking it since Roman times, and fascinating stories about the wolf clan that protected the area.
“Louvigné-du-Désert is derived from the word loup, meaning wolf in French. There’s always something new to learn.”
Anyone with historic photographs or memories of the mill is encouraged to get in touch by emailing sue.harper430@gmail.com.
