Bel Air Mill

According to many sources, it dates back to 1674. And like all other mills, it features a tower, a conical roof that allows the wings to be oriented according to the wind, and a low wall that prevents passers-by from being subjected to the movement of the wings. At the foot of the mill, two gates, one to the north and one to the south, allow access even when the mill is in operation. Surrounding the mill, the courtyard also houses the miller's house, a stable, a barn, a storeroom and the property's well.

A member of a group of around 80 mills in Reunion - or 110, depending on the source - it shared Bois-Plage with eleven or thirteen others of the same type, the majority of which, as elsewhere on the island, date back to the 18th century. Their function then often remained the same: to produce flour using the force of the wind.

But the Bel Air mill stands out from the rest, as it still has its wings. To understand why, we need to go back to the second half of the 19th century. Many of these mills were shut down, crushed by industrial competition. And to avoid paying taxes, the owners all decided to remove the wings from their structures. In 1978, a storm destroyed part of the Bel Air mill, and its owner decided to repair it and reinstall the wings, taken from an old mill in the Charente region.

The Bel Air mill is privately owned and cannot be visited.