De Weert, Meppel
Encyclopedia
De Weert is a smock mill
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...

 in Meppel
Meppel
Meppel is a municipality and a city in the northeast of the Netherlands, in the south-west of the province Drenthe.It developed in the 16th century as a transport and distribution inland harbour for turf...

, Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. It was built in 1999 and is listed as a Rijksmonument
Rijksmonument
A rijksmonument is a National Heritage Site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.-History and criteria:...

, number 526385.

History

De Weert is one of two survivors of over 20 windmills in Meppel. The predecessor of the current mill was built in 1807. This mill was known as the Eekmolen and it was used as a bark mill in the tanning industry. It was also known as De Reest, taking this name from the nearby river. The mill was a smock mill with a brick base and a stage. In 1825, the mill was owned by Messrs Dassen and Tenwolde. Albertus Dassen died and the mill passed to his widow. Circa 1860 the mill came into the possession of Abraham Roelink. In 1862, he had the mill altered so that it also ground wheat and produced pearl barley
Pearl barley
Pearl barley is barley processed to remove its hull and bran. Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten; pearl barley is taken a step further, polished to remove the nutritious bran layer....

. Subsequent owners were W T Eilerts, Mr de Haan, L Pasman, E P Pasman (the mill the being knows as Pasman's Molen) and then the Haandrikman family. The mill was worked until 1935 and demolished in 1937 leaving the base standing. The mill was in good condition at the time of demolition but was demolished on account of the high maintenance and insurance costs. The mill worked three pairs of millstones.

In 1993, Meppel resident Henk Meijerink proposed that the mill should be rebuilt. The plan was supported by Giska Eisma, an architecture student from Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...

. The idea was put to Alderman Jan Oldebesten, who agreed that it should be done. A new smock would be placed on the surviving brick base. The Schuilenberger Molen near Hellendoorn
Hellendoorn
Hellendoorn is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Dutch province of Overijssel.- Population centres :The municipality comprises:Towns:* Hellendoorn* NijverdalHamlets:* Daarle* Daarlerveen* Eelen en Rhaan* Egede* Haarle* Hancate...

, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...

 was to be demolished in 1994. It was decided to rebuild the Schuilenberger Molen at Meppel. The base was repaired and made for the mill. On 8 July 1998, the smock was placed on the base. The millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...

 was Johannes Kooistra from Sloten
Sloten
Sloten is the name of two towns in the Netherlands:* Sloten, Friesland, the city in the municipality of Gaasterlân-Sleat* Sloten, Amsterdam, village in North Holland...

. The official opening was scheduled for summer 1998 but was postponed as Henk Meijerink died shortly before the ceremony was due to take place. The mill was officially opened on 13 May 1999
National Mills Day
National Mills Day is an event in the United Kingdom and occurs annually on the second Sunday in May. It started off as a single day event but in recent years has expanded to Saturday as well as Sunday, and is now promoted as National Mills Weekend. The event is coordinated by the Wind and...

. The mill is used to train new millers.

Description

De Weert is what the Dutch describe as an "achtkante stellingmolen". It is a three storey smock mill on a two storey base. The stage is at second floor level, 5.9 metre above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. The mill is winded by a tailpole and winch. The four Common sails have streamlined leading edges on the Fok system. They have a span of 20.8 metre are carried in a cast iron windshaft. This was cast by Fabrikaat Hardinxveld in 1997. The windshaft also carries the clasp arm brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. The brake wheel drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft the great spur wheel, which has 85 cogs, drives the 1.5 metre diameter French Burr millstones via lantern pinion stone nut which has 26 staves. The millstones are driven overdrift.

External links

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