Grinding above, movement below
A mill is organised vertically too.
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The study shared by the Museum in 2011 describes two levels in Cabeceiras’s mills: the grinding equipment above and the driving mechanism below, in the cabouco. The building’s form follows how the machinery works. The survey records rectangular plans of varying sizes, with the exception of one circular-plan watermill.
Granite dominates the walls, but not every stone receives the same treatment. The study highlights points with particular construction demands: corners, doors, windows and parts through which water passes. At the corners, stones help bond the building together; lintels and jambs frame the openings. An irregular-looking wall can therefore coexist with carefully selected pieces.
This description belongs to the historical study, not an inspection of today’s buildings. To read the landscape, start with the water’s route, then ask where the driving force and the grinding work were located.
From the water to the building
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Store water before grinding
Before grinding, it was necessary to store water →Drive the water to the mill
The water also had a built path →Find examples in Peio
Peio also made flour →
Source and context
Basto Land Museum — Mills Cabeceiras de Basto: construction form, 04/05/2011
Accessed: . Editorial summary; the date of consultation is not the date of the facts.