Ar Milin', park and art near Rennes
The history of the mill began with the Texier family. Straddling the River Vilaine, and thanks to the hydraulic power generated by its paddle wheel, in times of old, the building represented an essential source of energy for Châteaubourg. Firstly, to power the millstones needed to produce flour, and secondly for the whole town, which was affectionately known as the "City of Light". The mill was also a meeting place for the young village folk, who gathered there to bathe, fish and skim stones. A friendly, family atmosphere reigned supreme - one that still lives on today!
A new chapter began in 1953 when Fabien Burel, founder and director of the Sulky-Burel company, and Albertine, his wife, bought the mill and the adjoining five-hectare meadow. Here, the visionary new owner designed and then created a leisure park with a hotel and restaurant. To achieve this, the mill was enlarged using granite stones sourced directly from the small village of Sougéal, near the famous French landmark of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Fabien Burel entrusted François Riscle, a renowned landscape gardener, with the task of designing and planting this new space. As a result, the mill was rebuilt and the park landscaped, with the creation of a lake and the planting of hundreds of trees.
In Châteaubourg in Ille-et-Vilaine
In keeping with the original design, the leisure park is now home to outdoor activities such as go-karting on a dedicated track. And for the record, the karts are produced in the workshops of the Sulky-Burel company and the karting competitions held here, a runaway success. In tandem with this, the hotel and restaurant project continued to progress, even after the death of Fabien Burel in 1963. Three years later, Albertine opened Ar Milin', which means 'the mill' in Breton.
The couple's children continue to write the story of the establishment. Michel works to promote the estate. In 2000, his brother Jacques, a business manager, bought into the family project and set up, alongside his wife Gisèle, Le Bistrot du Moulin restaurant in 2002.
The same year saw the launch of a ground-breaking cultural and artistic project. On the initiative of "Les Entrepreneurs Mécènes" - a group of regional entrepreneur-sponsors representing the Jardin des Arts association - monumental works of art were temporarily exhibited in this lush and leafy setting. And some twenty years later, art lovers and enthusiasts of all ages are still flocking to the site!
An unmissable stopover at the gateway to Brittany, the Ar Milin' Estate has also become a favourite destination for couples, friends and families, who come to relax and unwind in the hotel and gourmet restaurant's green setting.
More great moments to share and reminisce over...
A 5-hectare parkland in Châteaubourg
Thanks to the vision of Fabien Burel and François Riscle, the meadow has been transformed into a magnificent parkland. Michel continued his father's work by calling on the services of Erwan Tymen, a landscape gardener from Brittany, to shape the site. The two men decided to make an inventory of the hundred or so varieties of trees and shrubs in the park, with the invaluable assistance of Cécile Lemoine, a resident of Châteaubourg and former professor of botany and plant biology at the University of Rennes. Hundred-year-old specimens, including cedars of Lebanon, feature in the inventory. Alongside this, ornamental ponds were created and species from all over the world planted.
Today, the park boasts an arboretum with over 100 species, including Judas trees, redwoods, ginko biloba, field maples, myrobolan plum trees and many other varieties from all over the world. Now tended by our gardener David, the five hectares of grounds that flourish on the banks of the River Vilaine are home to a host of local wildlife, including frogs, ducks, moorhens, squirrels, butterflies, birds, herons and more.
As you stroll through the grounds, you'll discover the Jardin d'Albertine, an 800m² garden dedicated to the memory of Albertine Burel who every day, lovingly picked the hotel flowers there. Today, this garden reflects her eternal passion for vibrant blooms, adding a wonderfully poetic touch to our park. In this landscape of cool and tranquillity, a multitude of rosebushes flourish. The garden is also home to a kitchen garden where our chef and sous-chefs come to hand-pick edible flowers, aromatic herbs and a fine selection of vegetables that add a unique twist to our cuisine.
