As I wandered around the Rouge-Cloître near Brussels, Belgium, I came upon this old stone house. In French, it’s known as La Maison du Meunier (the Miller’s House).
The house, constructed in 1740 over a former washhouse, housed the miller who ran the grain mill.
After the monastery closed, the building housed a forge. Later, a sculptor’s studio occupied the space. Starting in 1884, it operated as an inn.
I approached the cottage after viewing the millpond. A cobblestone path leads down from the small earthen dam, past the house, to the site of the former church. Beneath the structure, water flows along a brick-lined spillway.
Gardens surround the old building, but they lay dormant since it was winter during my visit. I can only imagine how beautiful the gardens are when in full bloom.
After capturing the broad scene, I moved in closer to photograph details of the building. I started by photographing the old entryway.
Cobblestones lead up to the arched entry. A stone casing surrounds a beautiful, aged wooden door. A stone drip rail above the entrance reminds me of crown molding. Growing above the doorway and along the side are vines, leafless because of the season.
After I photographed the door, I moved to capture the windows that provided the light into the home. Louvered wooden shudders frame the windows. A narrow cobblestone path, lined by a garden bed, parallels the front of the house.
While the walls appear in good shape, the roof requires repairs. I didn’t photograph the building as I wanted, as tarps covered the roof and dormers.
I created a short video about my experience at the Miller’s House. You can view the video on YouTube HERE.
