WIERINGERWAARD
This mill was built in 1742 as an ironing mill but converted into a flour mill. The volunteer millers grind grain into flour.
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The ironing mill was built in 1741 for the drainage of the Wieringerwaard.
The Wieringerwaard was drained in 1610, just after the reclamation of the Zijpe. Five mills took care of the drainage and the pumped-out water could end up at sea via a diver sluice. At the end of the 17th century it turned out that the five mills could drain the polder, but that this was not possible if the outside water level was too high. If the water level of the sea was too high, the pumped-out water could not be drained. The plan was conceived to build an ironing mill, which could grind the vortex at sea from a high outside water level.
With the arrival of the steam pumping station in 1871, the ironing mill lost its function. The mill was sold to C. Posch to be converted into a corn mill. During the Second World War, the mill gear, spindle and rail wheel were removed and burned. In 1961 the mill came to an end, the mill was completely demolished and sold.
The mill was restored in 1964, when it was operational but empty inside. The interior was refitted in 1998 and grain has been ground by the volunteer millers ever since. The mill is owned by the Municipality of Hollands Kroon and is operated by Stichting Molen de Hoop. The millers are present almost every Wednesday from 10 am to 4.30 pm. Feel free to come and have a look inside! Grain is ground into flour. You can buy the traditional mill flour or pancake mix from the miller. The mill is a national monument.
Sources - Mill database via www.molendatabase.nl - Register of monuments via www.monumentenregister.cultureelerfgoed.nl - Molen de Hoop Foundation via. www.dehoopwieringerwaard.nl