Dutch Windmill Overview
Expats in Netherlands may be confused by all the different Dutch windmill styles they come across in Holland. Here is a brief overview of the 3 primary types of windmills that can be found in the country.
1,200 original windmills still exist in the Netherlands today. The province of South Holland has the most (230), which includes 19 grouped together at Kinderdijk (a UNESCO World Heritage site). Gelderland, North Holland, North Brabant and Friesland all have 100+ windmills.
DUTCH WINDMILL TYPES
Dutch windmills can be broken down into 3 general categories:
POST WINDMILLS
The Dutch ‘wipmolen‘ is classified as a ‘post’ windmill. It was the first kind of windmill used in the Netherlands (and across Europe), as early as 13th century. It has a one-piece upper body section that houses the operating mechanisms attached to a singular post. Their original use was to drain drain polder lands.
GROUND SAILER WINDMILLS
The arms on Grondzeiler (ground sailer) windmills extend low enough that the cloth sails can be extended while standing on the ground. The housing can be either wood or stone. The ones made of wood are generally pentagon shaped, flaring outward at the bottom, and sit atop a short brick or stone base. They are nicknamed ‘smock ground sailer’ because the silhouette is similar to that of an apron.
Ground sailer windmills made of stone are conical in shape, narrow toward the top and wider at the bottom. At the top is a separate cap to which the fan blades are attached. This allows for the cap to be rotated in the direction of the oncoming wind. They were used to perform many tasks in the pre-industrial age, but primarily were used in the Netherlands to drain polder lands.
STAGE WINDMILLS
Dutch Stellingmolens (scaffolding mills) are commonly referred to as ‘stage mills’ due to the raised platform built around the housing resembling a stage. The platform was needed to reach the fan blades as these windmills are significantly taller than their peers. As these windmills were located in cities and towns, the additional height was needed to ensure the fan would be higher than surrounding buildings and provide unencumbered access to the wind.
The majority of stage mills are made of stone and are conical in shape. They were originally used for grinding raw agricultural products such as barley, corn and wheat into flour and meal.
The tallest tower stage mills are located in the city of Schiedam (South Holland) and reach as high as 33 meters.
Stage mills made of wood do exist, but are far less common. These were predominantly used with as saw mills (such as ‘De Salamander‘ windmill in Leidschendam) for cutting trees into lumber.
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