ulk ▁or ▁full ing ▁mill ▁producing ▁w ool len ▁cloth . ▁Ret ting ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁here ▁in ▁p onds ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁river , ▁this ▁process ▁being ▁a ▁stage ▁in ▁the ▁manufact uring ▁of ▁veget able ▁fib res , ▁especially ▁the ▁bast ▁fib res . ▁It ▁involves ▁sub mer ging ▁plant ▁st ems ▁such ▁as ▁fla x , ▁j ute ▁or ▁h emp ▁in ▁water , ▁and ▁so aking ▁them ▁for ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁time ▁to ▁lo osen ▁the ▁fib ers ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁stem . ▁The ▁fib res ▁can ▁then ▁be ▁used ▁to ▁produce ▁lin en ▁and ▁other ▁products , ▁such ▁as ▁paper ▁for ▁bank notes , ▁ro pe , ▁etc . ▁ ▁The ▁present ▁mill ▁was ▁ere cted ▁in ▁ 1 6 1 4 ▁as ▁a ▁corn ▁mill ▁and ▁re built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁after ▁being ▁dam aged ▁by ▁fire . ▁The ▁River ▁Gar no ck ' s ▁waters ▁power ▁a ▁ 6 - met re ▁diameter ▁breast - shot ▁wheel ▁that ▁drives ▁the ▁French ▁b urr ▁mill st ones ▁through ▁cast ▁iron ▁g ear ing . ▁ ▁The ▁traditional ▁methods ▁of ▁producing ▁fl our ▁can ▁be ▁followed ▁during ▁a ▁tour ▁of ▁the ▁mill . ▁The ▁wheel ▁turns , ▁when ▁possible , ▁following ▁the ▁almost ▁total ▁renew al ▁of ▁the ▁mill ▁mach in ery ▁and ▁a ▁recent ▁( 2 0 0 6 - 9 ) ▁replacement ▁of ▁wooden ▁components ▁of ▁the ▁wheel , ▁sl u ice , ▁etc . ▁ ▁The ▁mill ▁race ,