Centuries-old mill a surprise

One of the most unexpected but delightful surprises in touring the Channel island of Jersey is to suddenly come upon Le Moulin de Lecq, an ancient water mill bearing the name it was first given more than 600 years ago. Several sections of the mill date back to the 12th century.

A working flour mill as late as 1929, it was used by the Germans during the Occupation from 1940-45 to generate power for the searchlight batteries until the Liberation.

In April 1955, the mill was granted a license and converted into an inn. The original outside water wheel was restored. This wheel weighs 18 tons and has a diameter of 21 feet. It turns as it did in the Middle Ages — entirely by the weight of the water.

Inside, the Mill Room Bar and Lounge — featuring a stone floor, mullioned windows, low-timbered ceilings and white-washed granite walls — was designed around the working mill machinery.

Drink and food prices are moderate; the servings of mainly English fare are hearty at the Le Mill, which operates mainly as a “Mary Ann” facility. You see the Mary Ann name everywhere in Jersey — on hotels, restaurants and bars. It came about many years ago when a man named Betsford sold his brewery to a conglomerate which decided to use his daughter’s name, Mary Ann, as its trademark.

Proprietors Gary and Pauline Healey also host the Granary Lounge upstairs, where the actual grinding of various meals occurred. This bar has its own distinct ambience highlighted by the display of many of the old mill’s instruments and artifacts, including paraffin lamps, crude tools and corn-sack-style cushions.

When in Jersey, Le Moulin de Le can be reached from St. Helier by taking St. Aubin’s Road to the A12 and proceeding through St. Peter’s and St. Ouen’s parishes to the B65, which leads to Greve de Le and the mill. It’s not much more than a seven-mile drive to the mill and a wide, sandy beach is just across the road.