Westmolen

The Westmolen is a seesaw mill built in 1814, to replace an earlier mill destroyed by French troops in 1813 during the siege of Gorinchem. The mill, together with its neighbour mill, the Oostmolen, built in 1817, drained the polder De Banne van Gorinchem & Kwakernaat. The two mills have not had this function since 1971. After they were taken out of operation, both mills were enclosed by various sports fields, roads and, above all, many trees and shrubs. The so-called mill biotope is therefore very bad for the mills and this hinders the functioning of the mills. Despite that, the mills are capable of grinding, albeit in circuit. In 1973 the municipality of Gorinchem bought the mills and restored them in 1981/82. The Westmolen has retained its fairings of the Bussel system. The mill, like the Oostmolen, is inhabited by a volunteer miller. This puts the mill into operation very regularly. Since 1 January 2017, the mill, like the other three mills in Gorinchem, has been transferred to the Foundation for the Conservation of Mills in the Alblasserwaard and the Vijfheerenlanden (SIMAV).

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Marianne