The Van Houdt mill or what is left of it

The mill has no ancient history but was built in 1878 by Frans Van Houdt-Veugelen, a farmer in Scherpenheuvel. However, the cap and the internal workings were sourced from an older mill near Brussels. This round stone mill is of the type known as a post mill, where only the cap with the sail cross is rotated horizontally for optimal wind capture. Since we see no signs of a staging around the body, it was a ground sailor. In a ground sailor, the sails almost touch the ground, and the sail is applied from the ground. This is in contrast to a staging mill where the sail raising and turning of the mill cap into the wind is done from an elevated staging around the mill. Such a construction is possible when the mill stands in an environment free of obstacles that block the wind. Ground sailors are therefore relatively low mills.

Initially, the mill functioned solely as a grain mill. In 1933, the mill came into the hands of the Zeeuws family. To no longer be dependent on wind energy, a diesel engine was installed in 1955. At the same time, the sail cross was removed. At that time, there were three pairs of grinding stones: two for milling grain and one for breaking linseed cakes.

Linseed cake, linseed meal, or oilcake is the residue of linseed after the linseed oil has been pressed out in an oil mill. The material comes out as flat, elongated cakes from a traditional press. The ground linseed cakes are soaked in water and serve as feed for cattle. However, for young animals whose teeth have not yet developed, it is necessary for the cakes to be broken.

In 1998, the mill was struck by fire, and the internal workings were also destroyed. What remained was an empty shell.

Jan Rymenams