Blow Wind Blow
Some of my friends asked me if those famous Dutch windmills nowadays are just for tourists or still in use.
Actually most are centuries old, fully restored and still functioning, whether grinding grain to produce flour for local bakeries or controlling the water levels in the countryside!
Those windmills are amazing examples of pre-industrial age technology, interesting and photogenic.
Only some are open to the public except this year of course due to corona...
Anyway, here are a few windmills I visited or passed by during the last couple of months, the first one being: Windkorenmolen De Vlijt, built in 1879, restored in 1979, located in the heart of Wageningen and in daily use !
It's a so called gallery mill, used for producing flour.
https://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=291
The top part is called the tap and can turn around in order to catch as much wind as possible.
Those millstones are huge.
Very different is this small 'Wipmolen' De Trouwe Wachter, built in 1832, located in the fields of Tienhoven.
This is a hollow post mill, used for polder drainage.
I really like the rooster decoration on top.
https://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=846
Much larger is the Hoekermolen, built in 1874, a smock mill, used for polder drainage, in Vreeland countryside.
Here is the ancient screw pump.
https://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=852
Oostzijdse Molen, built in 1874, smock mill, used for polder drainage, Abcoude countryside.
https://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=827
Here is a short clip of the Oostzijdse Molen in action, very noisy due to strong winds.
De Binnenmolen, another gallery mill from 1893, in the town of Rhenen.
https://en.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=845
De Kroon is a five storey tower mill with a stage, originally built in 1870, in the town of Arnhem.
https://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=174
Note the millstones in front.
The store sells all kinds of flour based products as well as souvenirs.
The back entrance.
They made this great mural nearby!
Not well known but long before the Wright Brothers in the US, accidental flights occurred in Netherlands occasionally during heavy storms!
