De Verrekijker, Bergharen Explained

De Verrekijker, Bergharen
Name Of Mill:De Verrekijker
Location Of Mill:Molenweg 53, 6617 BC, Bergharen
Coordinates:51.8556°N 5.675°W
Operator:Private
Built:1904
Purpose:Corn mill
Type:Tower mill
Storeys:Three storeys
Sail Number:Four sails
Sail Type:Common sails
Windshaft:cast iron
Winding:Tailpole and winch

De Verrekijker (English: The Spyglass) is a tower mill in Bergharen, Gelderland, Netherlands which was built in 1904 and has been converted to a holiday cottage. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument.

History

There was a post mill on this site in 1313, when it was sold to the Cistercians of Alten Camp, near Xanten (now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). A post mill was struck by lightning and destroyed on 31 December 1486. It was replaced by a new mill.[1] The mill immediately preceding the current mill was a post mill that was struck by lightning in 1903 and destroyed,[2] but not by fire; the damage done rendered the mill beyond repair.[1]

De Verrekijker was built in 1904 by millwright Willem Coppes of Bergharen. In 1962, the mill was stripped of its machinery and converted to a holiday cottage. The mill can turn in the wind. It is listed as a Rijksmonument, № 9303.[1]

Description

De Verrekijker is what the Dutch call a "Beltmolen". It is a three storey tower mill built on a mound.[1] The cap is covered n dakleer.[3] Winding is by tailpole and winch. The sails are Common sails, which have a span of 25.1m (82.3feet). They are carried on a cast iron windshaft which was cast by Merckx in 1897. The windshaft also carries the brake wheel, which has 86 cogs. No other machinery remains.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bergharen, Gelderland . Molendatabase . nl . 24 October 2014.
  2. Web site: De Verrekijker 2e voorganger, Bergharen . Molendatabase . nl . 26 October 2014.
  3. Web site: Bergharen (gemeente Wijchen) . Ronald . Stenvert . nl . Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren . 26 October 2014.