EPENER VOLMOLEN

The Epener Volmolen is a fulling mill. In fulling mills, water is supplied halfway up the wheel; the water wheel is set in motion by both the weight and the flow rate of the passing water. The Epener Volmolen was part of the Vaalser wool industry in the 18th century, which was thriving at that time. The distance to transport the cloth by horse and cart from Vaals to Epen and back was not a barrier for the manufacturers. Due to the mill's location on the Geul, there was an abundance of water available for fulling.
The watermill was used for a long time for 'fulling' woven fabrics into thick and strong cloth. Fulling improves the quality of woven fabric. The fabric is placed in large oak tubs filled with a mixture of fuller's earth (a type of clay), linseed oil, rancid butter, urine, and water. Stampers, powered by the water power of the Geul, flatten the fabric. Fourteen hours later, the cloth has become thicker, coarser, and stronger. The urine and rancid butter required for fulling were discarded into the Geul after use. It is not surprising, then, that the Fulling Mill was built outside the village center of Epen.

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