The papermills of Couze-et- Saint Front

happy ducks at a little spot on the river Couze by the water mill

I spent a lovely day this week with my painting group at the village of Couze-et-Saint Front between Bergerac and Lalinde where the Couze river meets the Dordogne. It was one of those glorious blue skied autumn days between the grape picking and the change of leaf colour from green to gold and red.

on a popular route for cyclists and walkers

very grand but built into the rock face !

Le Moulin sous le Roc 

 Interesting story about the town’s name - apparently, Saint Front was a monk who vanquished a dragon that was terrorising the local people of Couze. Reason enough to name the town after him.

once the town's  girl's school

perfect spot for lunch

Because of the reliable supply and purity of the water in the Couze, this village has been the home of water powered paper mills since the fifteenth century using hemp, flax and cotton. The paper from Couze was so good it was said to last 500 years ! By the nineteenth century there were thirteen mills in operation. These days there are just two still turning out hand made papers for a limited and specialised market. The paper was shipped down the Dordogne to Bordeaux and then on to Holland which , in the 17^th century, was the centre of book printing in Europe.

a display using discards

After a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant we were given a guided tour through the Moulin de la Rouzique  by a very knowledgeable and charming young woman.

the shutters are left open for natural drying of the paper

thousands of lines for drying the paper

comparatively modern machinery but still driven by the water wheel 

We finished the day sitting in the garden by the river, sketching and painting , this being a painting group, and provided much entertainment for a coach load of seniors who arrived rather late in the afternoon on their outing.

Hope yours is a good week too