Anciennes papeteries

English translation

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History

Situated 20 kilometres upstream from Bergerac, the Couze valley was for two centuries one of the most important papermaking centres of south-west France. Papermaking activity has been present since the 16th century; a terrier of 1530 mentions nine mills which were still functioning in the 19th century, without being exclusively devoted to papermaking, since some also served as grain mills. When hand papermaking was threatened by mechanical manufacturing, the invention in 1840 by Monsieur Prat of filter paper intended for the chemical industry saved the papermaking industry which remains to this day the dominant economic activity of the valley. The moulin de la Rouzique, mentioned as early as 1530 and active until 1983, has preserved all the necessary equipment for the manufacture of filter paper: a round mould machine, three Dutch piles, vats and two wheels (one with iron paddles of which only the supports remain and the second with wooden paddles). The moulin des Guillandoux was used throughout the 19th century as a grain mill and as a paper mill; it has two levels of drying floors. The building of the mills Sous le Roc and du Merle is probably the oldest building on the site; its plan has not changed since 1750; it formerly housed on the ground floor two separate paper mills. The small drying floor situated facing the moulin de la Rouzique is connected to it by a network of rails with small wagons.