Nederland: wind- en watermolens

Laag-Keppel became city rights as ‘Keppel’ in the year of 1404. With about 500 inhabitants is one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands. Laag-Keppel is located in the so called Achterhoek on the river Oude IJssel between Doetinchem and Doesburg. Since the 14th century Laag-Keppel has a watermill. The current mill was built in the 19th century and until 1945 it was in operation. From that year an electric motor was driving the grinder due to a lack of water. In 1968 a plan was made to grind the mill on its original way by hydropower. Therefore a small windmill - a so called ‘spinnenkopmolen’ - was transferred from the province of Friesland with the intention of lowering the water level in the mill pond. Although it doesn’t work properly, it offers a unique watermill-windmill combination in a very peaceful setting. Main picture: watermill PiP: windmill with mill pond For more info about the mills (Dutch): keppelsemolens.nl

Laag-Keppel became city rights as ‘Keppel’ in the year of 1404. With less than 500 inhabitants it is one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands. Laag-Keppel is situated in the so called Achterhoek along the river Oude IJssel between Doetinchem and Doesburg. Since the 14th century Laag-Keppel has a watermill. The current mill was built in the 19th century and until 1945 it was in operation. From that year an electric motor was driving the grinder due to a lack of water. In 1968 a plan was made to grind the mill on its original way by hydropower. Therefore a small windmill - a so called spinnenkopmolen (spider mill) - was transferred from the province of Friesland with the intention of lowering the water level in the mill pond. The capacity of the small spider mill is insufficient for the water mill to function optimally. The combination of a watermill with a windmill offers a unique setting. The watermill of Laag-Keppel is a flour mill and is still in operation.

Knowing Laren as the place where rich and wealthy people live and as a village with imposing villas and mansions, I did not expect a windmill here. But surrounded by buildings and vegetation, I found this flourmill on a bicycle trip through the Gooi region. To this day, it is not absolutely clear when a windmill was first built in Laren. Compared to the surrounding places, Laren was granted the construction of its own mill relatively late, undoubtedly due to the fact that such a little village couldn´t provide enough work for a miller. A deed dated May 14th, 1704, shows that in Laren buckwheat was being husked a crudely ground as early as the beginning of the 18th century. It has to be assumed, however, that this was not done in a windmill but in a treadmill being operated with the help of horses or oxen. The first reference to De Korenmolen in Laren (Laren windmill) in today´s state can be found in a document dated 20th November, 1747, in which Jan Roel Calis is specifically described as a corn miller in the village of Laren. The present mill was built in 1773, and may have been a displaced polder mill. During the 20th century the mill had a couple of restorations. Nowadays both wind-powered and electric grinding still take place. In the adjacent shop - still run by the Calis family - flour is sold that has been milled in De Larense Molen .

Windmill De Put is named after miller Jan Jansz. Put, owner of the mill that was located on this spot in the 17th century. The original mill dates from 1619, and burned down in 1640. After the wooden flour mill was rebuilt afterwards, it had to make way in 1729 for a stone tower mill. This mill was demolished in 1817. Archaeologists discovered the foundations of the octagonal mill in 1982. The idea was put forward to build a post mill on the old bastion. This idea was finally realized five years later and in 1987 the cormill was rebuild on the former ramparts of the city of Leiden. De Put is located nearby the Rembrandtbrug and Rembrandtplein . It is believed that the original mill once was operated by the father of the famous Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, who was born nearby the windmill. Normally the mill is open on Saturdays and is still functioning.

Windmill De Valk (The Falcon) is the third mill built at this location. In 1611 a postmill was built, which was replaced in 1667 by a wooden post mill. The current tower mill is dating back to the year of 1743. The new, stone flour mill had to accommodate two families and had to be high enough - it is one of the tallest windmills in the country - to rise above the houses in its surroundings in order to catch enough wind. The ground floor and the additional building contained the kitchens, living areas and stable of the two houses. The sleeping rooms where located on the first and second floor, while the third served as storage room. The milling activities took place in the spaces located from the fourth floor (14 meters) to the top of the mill (29 meters). After the death of the last miller, the mill became a museum in 1966. Nowadays De Valk houses a museum offering an overview of its history, as well as the function of windmills in the Netherlands. It also has the only original miller’s house in the Netherlands.

'De Middelste Molen': old water mill along the Voorsterbeek or Loenense Molenbeek. The mill already started in the year of 1622 producing paper and still is a small, but working paper factory. It is the only authentic paper mill in the Netherlands.

The ‘Molen van Frans’ (Mill of Frans) was built in 1711 as a paper mill by Bernardus Kremer. In 1870 the mill was sold to the family ‘Frans’ and it became its current name. The new owners turned the mill into a flour mill. To increase the efficiency the undershot mill was transformed into an overshot mill and a mill pond was constructed. Since 1963 the mill is owned by ‘Landschap Overijssel’, a foundation for conservation of the nature in the province of Overijssel. They ordered several restorations; the last took place in 1999. Nowadays the mill can still be used for grinding grain. But one can also visit the mill for information (although it has limited opening hours) about the mill and the flora and fauna in the surrounding countryside of the valley of the Mosbeek. It even has a small ‘eco shop’, selling their own flour and seed of wild flowers.

The Bovenste Molen (Upper Mill) - formerly also known as Wolfsmolen - is located at the river Geul in the hamlet of Höfke near the village of Mechelen. It is a centre mill. Downstream in the same town there is another mill, which is logically referred to as the Onderste Molen (Lower Mill). The location at the Geul seems to be very suitable, as a water mill has been standing here for 750 years. The oldest building tracks in the present building date from the 15th century. In French times the mill was confiscated and sold publicly. Throughout the centuries the mill has served as a paper mill, flour mill and artificial wool mill. Artificial wool was made from disintegrated rags mixed with sheep's wool. The Bovenste Molen was a banmolen (mill soke). The inhabitants of the lord's territory were only allowed to have their grain ground in this mill. This in turn, of course, provided additional income for the landlord, who could levy tax on the grain. Since 1979 the mill is owned by the Vereniging tot Behoud van Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands). Nowadays the mill is no longer in operation.

Windmill De Vlijt (The Diligence) has only been in existence since 2002. The smock mill is built on the base of round stone tower mill constructed in 1859. This was taken out of use in 1933 and almost completely demolished in 1965. De Vlijt is a so called stellingmolen . The smock mill has a four-storey brick base and the stage is at third-floor level, 9.10 meters above ground level. The mill is winded by tailpole and winch. The four common sails have a span of 21.80 meters. The base of the windmill is currently used as living accommodation and office space.

Mill Laurentia was moved from the village of Bleskensgraaf, where it was used as drainage mill in the polder Alblasserwaard. In the year of 1893 the mill was rebuilt and started a ‘second life’ as flourmill nearby the village of Milheeze. Laurentia is an octagonal whitewashed ‘beltmolen*’ on a stone foundation with a reed covered superstructure. Originally the mill was called ‘Ludolizawi’, a contraction of the names of of the former owners. After a restoration in 1965 the mill became its current name Laurentia. *beltmolen = belt is a man made mound, providing more wind for a mill.

The Friedesse Molen (Friedesse Mill) is a watermill situated along the Neerbeek, a small stream which ends in the Maas. The mill is renovated in 2002 after being out of use for more than 50 years. The mill and mill house are been built in the year of 1717, although the watermill was already mentioned in documents in 1343. The Friedesse Mill is the only remaining mill of six mills along the Neerbeek. After being restored and renovated the mill is used again as a flour mill. Volunteers are now operating the Friedesse Mill. See for opening hours the link below.

From the 12th century onwards, the wild peat bogs in this area were reclaimed for cattle breeding. Settlers dug ditches and watercourses to drain the water. Due to this water extraction, the land subsided and the natural drainage of water was endangered. In order to prevent the hard-won areas from flooding again, the water had to be drained from the polder using windmills. The Garstenmolen (Garsten Mill) was built in 1876 after its predecessor burned down. The mill served to drain the Garstenpolder until 1960. After this was taken over by an electric pumping station, wheels, axles and spindles were removed to turn the mill into a dwelling. In 2006/2007, the mill was thoroughly restored and made mill-ready again. The mill was fitted with a new longer screw pump, so that water from the polder can once again be milled into the river Vecht. Volunteer millers keep the mill running. The mill can be visited when it is in operation.

Windlust is a octagonal smock mill, which was built in 1860 and raised in 1880. Fourty years later a brick engine-house was added to the base of the mill. In the 1930s the mill worked mostly by engine, but by wind during World War !!. After the war the condition of the mill deteriorated and it ceased working in 1953. Around 1960 it was restored and some years later left to the foundation De Oosthoek . Windlust is a so called stellingmolen ; the stage is 6.20 meters above the ground. The mill has a brick base and the smock and cap are thatched. Nowadays Windlust - a flour mill - is still in working order and is kept running by volunteers. The mill - listed as a Dutch national monument - can be visited on most Saturdays.

October 2023 marked the 250th anniversary of the “Leumolen” (Leu Mill); counting from the time of its rebuilding in 1773. The mill is also known as St. Ursula's Mill. There had been a mill at this location on the Leubeek for much longer. In 1461, a will first mentioned the “Leumolen” under the name “Molen aan de Leu”. It is possible that the mill had existed even much longer, with a charter mentioning a mill in Nunhem as early as the 13th century. The water mill from 1461 no longer exists; the loam mill was rebuilt in brick in the period 1771-1775. An oil mill was added to the existing grain mill. The mill house was completed in 1773, and the oil mill in 1775. A major change to the mill took place in 1911 when the water wheel was replaced by a turbine. In 1956, “Staatsbosbeheer” - a Dutch government organisation for forestry and management of nature reserves - bought the water mill. During a restoration in 1960-1961, the water wheel returned. After this restoration, only the grain mill was still in operation, but in 2008 the oil mill was also restored. The “Leumolen” is one of six water-powered oil mills in the Netherlands and the only one to house a flour mill and an oil mill under one roof.

Windmill De Duif (The Pigeon) was built in 1886 on the spot where a previous mill was burned down after a lightning strike. The mill - formerly called the Veelhorster molen was owned in the 17th century by the influential Feyth family from Elburg and was used for grinding grain from the beginning. It is an octagonal 'belt mill' (belt = a man made hill); the hill has a height of over 4 metres. The mill has been restored in 1963 and 1982. After this restoration, grain is milled again on a voluntary basis.

The hamlet of Oele has a watermill since the 14th century, although De Oldemeule is dating back to the year of 1690. The first known owners were the counts of Bentheim, who issued the mill, the 'Ole Mole', as fief. Over the centuries, the mill was owned by the noble families Van Bevervoorde (1334 - 1684) and Von Münchhausen (1684 - 1804). After that the mill changed owners several times and from 1880 it belonged to the Twickel Estate . In the past there also was an oil mill nearby, but this was demolished in 1900. During World War II the mill was still used for grinding grain, but after the war the mill was in decline. Nowadays De Oldemeule is owned by the municipality of Hengelo, which reinstated the mill in 1979. Every now and then the mill is open ofr visitors. During the last couple of years, new millers have been trained to operate the mill.

The windmill has a history going back to 1369, when there already was a mill in the hamlet Karrichoven (nowadays Kerkhoven, a neighbourhood of Oisterwijk). The current mill was built in 1895 after the wooden post mill was completely destroyed by fire. But in 1910 another fire destroyed the interior of the mill, but was repaired with parts of a polder mill in Rhoon (near Rotterdam). The Kerkhovense Molen was used for grinding grain and tree bark (used by the local tanneries in Oisterwijk) until after the World War II. After that it was used as a café and youthhostel. Between 1976 and 1979 the mill was completed renovated and after thirty years it could grind again on wind power. In the meantime the mill is owned by a foundation ( Stichting De Kerkhovense Molen ), which renovated the mill again. In 1999 it was officially reopened and the mill is still used for grinding grain. The mill got also its original name Onvermoeid (Untiring), but the name Kerkhovense Molen is much more common. On the ground floor the mill has a cute tea/coffee room and a shop, selling flour and other local products.

Along the Molenkade on the banks of the Hoornsevaart are four of the six surviving windmills of Oudorp, once a separate village and municipality, now surrounded by modern housing and annexed to the city of Alkmaar in 1972. Originally there were six windmills on the dike - built from 1627 to 1630 - to drain the adjoining polder. One burnt down in 1688 and one was dismantled, to be rebuilt at the Netherlands Open-Air Museum in Arnhem. While it was there in storage, during World War II, it was destroyed by a British bomb. The four mills are simply called Strijkmolen B, C, D en E . Mill “C” burned down twice - 1998 and 2004 - but is rebuilt again. A strijkmolen is a water mill with a very low elevation, which "smooths" the water from one storage basin to another. The mill itself does not have the function of a polder mill, although its construction is similar. In fact, it is a storage pumping station.The term strijkmolen was only used in the province of North Holland.