De Wieker Meule, De Wijk
Encyclopedia
De Wieker Meule is a smock mill
in De Wijk
, in Drenthe
province of the Netherlands
. It was built in 1829 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument
, number 39657.
. In 1829, the mill was bought by Jacob Schiphorst Haalweide and moved to De Wijk. An extension was built against the base of the mill which housed two pairs of millstones driven by a diesel engine
and later an electric motor
. These were in addition to the two pairs of stones driven by the windmill. In 1926, the mill was bought by the Coöperative Landbouwbank. The ground floor was used at that time as a bank
. In 1939, the sails of the mill were streamlined using the Dekker system. The mill cease to be used commercially in 1962. Restoration of the mill started in 1978, and was completed in 1980, with a new cap and sails. The Dekkerised sails were replaced with traditional Common sails. The Vereniging voor Vreemdelingenverkeer established an office in the base of the mill. In 1996, the mill was bought by the Stichting Wieker Meule (English: Wieker Mill Society).
Enthoven in 1863. The windshaft carries a clasp arm brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. This drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft the great spur wheel (105 cogs) drives two lantern pinion stone nuts, one having 34 staves and the other having 36 staves. These drive the two pairs of 1.5 metre diameter French Burr millstones.
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 De Wijk
De Wijk
De Wijk is a village in the Netherlands province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of De Wolden, about 7 km southeast of Meppel. It is home to Rijksmonument 39657, De Weiker Meule....
, in 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...
province of 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 1829 and has been restored to working order. The mill 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 39657.
History
De Wieker Meule was originally built in 1764 in De Leijen, OverijsselOverijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
. In 1829, the mill was bought by Jacob Schiphorst Haalweide and moved to De Wijk. An extension was built against the base of the mill which housed two pairs of millstones driven by a diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
and later an electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
. These were in addition to the two pairs of stones driven by the windmill. In 1926, the mill was bought by the Coöperative Landbouwbank. The ground floor was used at that time as a bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
. In 1939, the sails of the mill were streamlined using the Dekker system. The mill cease to be used commercially in 1962. Restoration of the mill started in 1978, and was completed in 1980, with a new cap and sails. The Dekkerised sails were replaced with traditional Common sails. The Vereniging voor Vreemdelingenverkeer established an office in the base of the mill. In 1996, the mill was bought by the Stichting Wieker Meule (English: Wieker Mill Society).
Description
De Wieker Meule what the Dutch describe as an "achtkante stellingmolen" - a smock mill with a stage. It is a three storey smock mill on a two storey base. The stage is at third floor level, 8.7 metre above ground level. The smock and cap are thatched. The cap is winded by a tailpole and winch. The four Common sails, which span 22.5 metre, are carried on a cast iron windshaft, which was cast by millwrightMillwright
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...
Enthoven in 1863. The windshaft carries a clasp arm brake wheel, which has 59 cogs. This drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft the great spur wheel (105 cogs) drives two lantern pinion stone nuts, one having 34 staves and the other having 36 staves. These drive the two pairs of 1.5 metre diameter French Burr millstones.