Antique granite apple crushing mill

Double antique limestone trough : This Truly Reclaimed apple mill is in good well-worn condition and could be put back into service in a country museum or traditional cider making activity. The old print clearly shows the cider-making activity in a large barn in France. But the same methods were used in England, the Channel Islands, and probably in all the regions of North America where the new immigrants set up home with the same activities as they were familiar with from their homeland. The heavy granite wheel was turned round and round by a horse thereby mashing the apples which were then transferred to the adjacent press for extracting the apple juice. The juice was then transferred to barrels, then party time…..

This apple crusher is from North West France where traditional cider making continues. However nowadays most cider-makers use more mechanized methods that have made these extra-ordinary features largely redundant. This one comprises 4 main segments each of which is intact, plus the wheel and even the central stone foundation block for the vertical pivot.

Nowadays they are often used for for decorative purposes in a courtyard, driveway or garden. As a centre-piece feature they can be used as planters or pools. They can also be re-used on a landscaped project to channel a stream in the form of a serpentine rill. The cross sectional area of the channel will allow a significant debit in fact. See the photos where we set up a series of segments to demonstrate the principle of creating a rill.

At the moment we have two other apple crushers in stock, which give a lot of scope for a major landscape project :

• Ref. 2023214 Antique granite apple mill
• Ref. 2023215 Truly Reclaimed apple pulping mill

Dimensions approx :

• Diameter : exterior 380cm (12 feet 6 inches)
• Diameter : interior 244cm (8 feet)
• Height : 54cm (21 inches)
• Wheel diameter : 122cm (48 inches)
• Wheel thickness : 18cm (7 inches)
• Pivot foundation : 70cm x 70cm (27.5 x 27.5 inches)

This apple crusher is on display with two others at our storage and display depot at Méry Corbon, between Caen and Lisieux in Normandie.