Come stroll with me …

... through the town of Vernon today.  You might be surprised by what we find ...

With a population a little short of 25,000, Vernon sits on the banks of the river Seine about halfway between Paris and Rouen in the département of Eure (that’s 27 if you collect the numbers!).  There has been habitation here since at least the 8^th century.  Back in 750, the town is mentioned in a document by Pépin le Bref, which translates as Pepin the Short.  Pepin was born in 714.  He became the first Carolingian King of the Franks in 751 and reigned until his death in 768.

Following the invasion of the Germanic-speaking Franks, who hung around for quite a while, Vernon suffered numerous subsequent battles and changes of ruler, even becoming part of an English territory for 34 years before being ceded to France in 1449.  At that time, Charles 7 occupied the French throne and had done so since 1422.  He is variously referred to as Charles le Victorieux (the Victorious) or Charles le Bien-Servi (the Well-Served).  Irrespective of his moniker, he became the King who saw the end of the Hundred Years War and, therefore, any further English claim to the throne of France.

The ancient heart of this town is now surrounded by modern suburbs, but I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that some of the original ancient buildings still exist.  As I’m camped in Pont de l’Arche, I approached the town from the northwest along the D6015.  As you travel, take care to note the view of the château at Gaillon which will be on your left as you are travelling towards Vernon.

The D6015 takes you straight into the suburbs and close to the centre of town.  I parked in a side street and walked the last 300 metres or so into the pedestrianised centre.  There are some fabulous shops and buildings, but what I want to show you today is the Le Vieux-Moulin (the Old Mill).  From the D6015, you can cut left down onto Quai Jacques-Chirac.  At this point, the Seine is wide and deep enough for massive river cruisers.  Keep walking until you get close to Pont Clemenceau.  From here, you can get one of the best views of the Old Mill on the opposite bank.

Construction of the mill began in 1600, and it is amazing that the building is still there as it appears to be suspended above the waters of the Seine with little support.  The location of the mill actually anchors the site of an earlier bridge that crossed the river at this point.  That bridge dated from the 12^th century and was constructed for military purposes.  In the following centuries, the bridge was repurposed, and five flour mills sat along its length.  The one that can be seen today is the last of those.  In the 1600s, all of the mills relied on the flow of the river for power driven through the waterwheels, which, according to the info in the museum, could be altered in height depending on the water levels in the river.  In the mid-17th century, the bridge suffered damage because of a flood, and it and the mills were abandoned.  By the mid-19^th century, when a new bridge was constructed a little further upstream, all that remained of the original crossing was the mill we see today and the remains of some of the original supports.

But there’s more!  The Old Mill survived the Franco-Prussion War and the Second World War.  Regrettably, the nearby second bridge did not, having had three further incarnations following damage from bombing and war.  That second bridge was finally and completely destroyed in 1944.

However,  the mill did not come out of the massive and sustained bombing of northern France in 1944/45 unscathed.  Following the cessation of war, the people of Vernon decided that the crumbling iconic structure had to be saved and preserved for future generations.

You can’t visit the Old Mill, but you can sit in the shade of a tree on the opposite bank, have lunch and wonder at the longevity of what is a beautiful but fragile-looking piece of architecture.

And that’s exactly what I did.  Lunch was an amandine - absolutely scrumptious - from one of the bakers in town.

You can join me on other strolls through the towns of Joinville Argentan or Pont de l'Arche  Just click the links...