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What does ARAM mean ?

A = Association

R = Régionale

A = des Amis

M = des Moulins

Regional Association of the Friends of the Mills

Who are we ?

We act for the protection and restoration of the mills in the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais (France).

The association

Behind the beauty and the charm of our mills, whether watermills or windmills, there is a past, full of men’s stories, of passions, of toils, of happiness and of dramas… We could not let this heritage abandoned and only let memories to our children. Created in June 23th 1973, the association has first determined its aim : protect the last windmills present in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. 10 years after its creation, the ARAM could be proud to have given new sails to 11 mills.

And for the 20 years of the creation of the association, 10 other mills were given new sails. Watermills were not forgotten, 10 of them were given their water wheel. For its 30th anniversary, the ARAM is able to present a successful list of 45 restorations. It has impulsed a dynamic trend of restoration of this industrial heritage. Then, the desire to know more about their history and their technique is born. As a consequence, it was natural to share this knowledge  by building the first Molinology Center (researches on the mills) and the Mills Museum.

The objectives

In a nutshell, the ARAM Nord-Pas-de-Calais acts :

- for the safeguard of the mills in order to enable the next generations to admire them in their reality,

- for an authentic restoration, to pass on an authentic heritage,

- for developing historical and technical documentary researches,

- for making this living element of our industrial heritage known, by books and by its museum adapted to everybody (adults, children, youngsters, disabled people, schools…),

- and finally for converting them punctually in places of fests, of cultural events and of walks, so people can discover unsuspected heritage.

Land of immigration, strategical crossroads of  Europe, the « Nord » region  has an ancient tradition of « land of mills ». There have been 3000 mills, including these superbs and majestuous post mills,  often represented in the regional paintings and songs.

Where are we ?  How can you reach us ?

A.R.A.M. 

rue Albert Samain

59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq

FRANCE 

Tel. : 03.20.05.49.34 (from other countries than France, or from foreign phones : 00 33 3.20.05.49.34)

Fax : 03.20.05.11.06 (or 00 33 3.20.05.11.06)

Villeneuve d'Ascq is located near Lille, where there is the airport of Lille-Lesquin and 2 train stations (Lille-Flandres and Lille-Europe), offering connections between France, United Kingdom (the Eurostar train stops at Lille), Belgium (Thalys train), the Netherlands and Germany mainly, but also with all Europe and with North Africa.

Prices and types of visits

A.R.A.M., rue Albert Samain, 59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq, FRANCE

Tel. : 03.20.05.49.34 (or 00 33 3.20.05.49.34)

Fax : 03.20.05.11.06 (or 00 33 3.20.05.11.06)

Exceptional events :

About renewable energies : in May 2006, for the 3rd year, many events on renewable energies organized by the "Info-Energie" services (services informing the general public about the different types of energies, and in particular about renewable energies) of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais will take place.

Programme of the events : 

- May 1st to 15th : 50 lectures, exhibitions and information points

- May 2nd to 12th : the exhibition "Alerte au climat : changeons d'énergie" ("Climate alert : let's change of energy") at the MNE (Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement, or Nature and Environment Center) of Lille

- Saturday, May 13th : the 3rd "Journée solaire" ("Solar Day") of the city of Villeneuve d'Ascq, at the Ferme du Héron (the Hern's Farm) : information points, stalls, demonstrations, lectures

- May 16th to 31st : 100 visits in the houses of people equiped with renewable energies, they are still very popular ! You will have the possibility to visit houses equipped with : thermic solar (water-heaters), photovoltaïc solar (solar panels), geothermal warm pump, personal wind pump, wood energy. 

The visits take place also in June.

Please reserve well in advance.

DON'T MISS THESE INTERESTING VISITS !

For more information and for inscriptions,  please contact :

• CDHR 62 - Tel. : 03.21.21.69.99 (or 00 33 3.21.21.69.99)

Website : www.renouvelablesenfete.com

• Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement, 23 rue Gosselet, 59000 Lille, France

Tel. : 03.20.52.12.02 (or 00 33 3.20.52.12.02)

Fax : 03.20.86.15.56 (or 00 33 3.20.86.15.56)

Website :

http://www.mnelille.org

and

 http://www.mnelille.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=47

E-mail : piemnelille@free.fr

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Journée des Moulins (Mills Day) 2006 : Sunday, June 18^th  

The mills participating to the Mills' Day :

To visit all the other mills of the region that are not on this list, you should contact them directly because we don't have enough information so as to know if they participate or not to the Mills' Day. Some mills are open during the Mills' Day and it will be possible to visit them, but without any special price or special animations.

Historical of the Mills' Day.

For centuries, mills have been part of the landscape of the region Nord-Pas-de-Calais and have had an influence on the life's rythm of its inhabitants. Of long ago, mills animated the big green fields of our beautiful region. Both useful and beautiful, they couldn't disappear totally in front of a destructive and invading modernism.
That's why the Regional Association of the Friends of the Mills of Nord-Pas-de-Calais was created in 1973 so to try to stop this dangerous mmovement of disappearance that threatened the 30 saved mills, among the 3000 windmills that were present in the region before.

Since the association's creation, with public funds, more than 40 mills have been restaured. Following the example of the Netherlands, which organises since many years in May its National Mills' Day, the ARAM Nord-Pas-de-Calais decided to instaure since 1983 a Regional Mills' Day whcih takes place traditionally the 3rd Sunday of June. Since 30 years, we have made many efforts to save our molinological heritage. Each year there are more mills' openings to the public, and other mills, restaured by their owners, can be admired from the outside. During the Mills' Day, these jewels of our historical heritage open their doors to you and invite you to discover them with your family of friends.

Apart from this event, you can visit the Mills' Museum of Villeneuve d'Ascq (300 m2), near Lille. You will discover for example the evolution of the milling and different energies since the origins, the miller's job, the products of the grinding or even the symbolic of the mill in the art.

Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days) 2006 : September 16th and 17th