The Former Cider Press

Cider is an ancestral drink in Normandy where it has a rich history, apple trees existing long before grape vines.  Cider has been reputed for its refreshing and healing effects since Antiquity effects when Hipocrates himself recommended it to his patients in the 4th century BCE. Our ancestors, the Gauls, made a fermented drink  that the Romans later called ‘sicera’.

Cider making increased rapidly in Normandy in the 13th century with the invention of the cider press and it was popular through to the 19th century. It was even drunk by kings of France, notably François 1st, Louis 15th and Louis 16th. In the 14th century the massive importation of ‘Biscaye’ plants  by the kings of Navarre transformed the Normandy orchards. The decision by Charles 9th to pull up the Normandy vineyards, the quality of  which was considered to be very poor, favoured the development of orchards and made Normandy the first cidricole region of France.

However, the 20th century witnessed a sharp decline in cider consumption, dropping from 60 litres per inhabitant to fewer than two litres in less than a century, due to the discovery of wine and beer by First World War soldiers and to the exodus from the countryside.

Normandy, and Seine Maritime in particular, enhanced its cider-making heritage. This was the case of the former Frichemesnil cider press, now transformed into the ‘Village House’. This cider press was built in the 16th century, being part of a farm, and was originally built in pink brick, cut flint, a base of  sandstone and a roof of thatch. Its centre piece was a large stone wheel used for crushing the cider apples. The building also contains vaulted cellars, one serving as a dairy and the other as an actual cellar.

The restoration that began in 2004, when the walls, beams, and woodwork were in good condition, aimed to preserve the character of the building  while at the same time adapting it to its new public function. The works included replacing the thatch roof by a slate roof, better for a public building. A key innovation of the renovation was the preservation and the displacement of the press axis, which is now used to support a lattice frame, thus reminding us of its original use.

The ‘Maison du Village’, Village House, became a multi purpose village hall, used primarily as a school cantine and a store area for the integrated kitchens. It is also open to all the villagers. This exemplary project was rewarded on 22nd October 2005 by the Departmental Prize ‘Les Rubans du Patrimoine’ (Ribbons of Heritage).. The jury recognised the architectural quality, especially the integration of the metallic door frames in the ancient walls, and the repointing of the bricks in the original way. The financial aspect and the appropriation of the building also convinced the jury. Council workers finished the work on the vaulted roofs. This transformation is seen as an example of the way to restore and transmit local heritage to future generations, thus contributing to sustainable development.