Miedenmolen, Holwerd

Miedenmolen, Holwerd
Miedenmolen, September 2009
Origin
Mill name	Miedenmolen
Mill location	Miedweg 11, 9151 AH Holwerd 53°20′29″N 5°55′09″E / 53.34139°N 5.91917°E
Operator(s)	Stichting De Fryske Mole
Year built	1855
Information
Purpose	Drainage mill
Type	Smock mill
Storeys	Three-storey smock
Base storeys	Single-storey base
Smock sides	Eight sides
Number of sails	Four sails
Type of sails	Patent sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Tailpole and winch
Auxiliary power	Electric motor
Type of pump	Archimedes' screw

Miedenmolen is a smock mill in Holwerd, Friesland, Netherlands which was built in 1855. The mill has been restored to working order. It is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 38696.^[1]

History

Meidenmolen was built in 1855 to drain the Dwergsmear Polder.^[2] In 1953, the water board decided to fully mechanise the mill. Meetings held on 27 December 1961 and 13 March 1962 resulted in the mill being assisted by an electric motor, but full mechanisation was not carried out. The mill was restored in 1966. The mill was sold to Stichting De Fryske Mole (English: Frisian Mills Foundation) on 4 May 1976. Further restorations were carried out in 1978 and 1994, the latter was carried out by millwright Thijs Jellema of Birdaard.^[3] In 2004 a new steel Archimedes' screw was fitted. In 2006, the mill was officially listed as being held in reserve for use in an emergency.^[4]

Description

Meidenmolen is what the Dutch describe as an grondzeiler. It is a three-storey smock mill on a single-storey base. There is no stage, the sails reaching almost to the ground. The mill is winded by tailpole and winch. The smock and cap are thatched. The sails are Patent sails. They have a span of 20.80 metres (68 ft 3 in). The sails are carried on a cast-iron windshaft, which was cast in 1904 by De Munck Kiezer, Martenshoek, Groningen. The windshaft also carries the brake wheel which has 57 cogs. This drives the wallower (29 cogs) at the top of the upright shaft. At the bottom of the upright shaft, the crown wheel, which has 44 cogs drives a gearwheel with 43 cogs on the axle of the Archimedes' screw. The axle of the Archimedes' screw is 620 millimetres (2 ft 0 in) diameter. The screw is 1.70 metres (5 ft 7 in) diameter and 5.82 metres (19 ft 1 in) long. It is inclined at 19.7°. Each revolution of the screw lifts 1,667 litres (367 imp gal) of water.^[3]

Public access

Meidenmolen is open by appointment.^[5]

References

1. "Technische gegevens" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
2. "Geschiedenis" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
3. Stichting De Fryske Mole (1995). Friese Molens (in Dutch). Leeuwarden: Friese Pers Boekerij bv. pp. 133, 269. ISBN 90-330-1522-6.
4. "Holwerd, Friesland" (in Dutch). Molendatabase. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
5. "Informatie" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 7 April 2010.