De Oudkerkermolen, or Oudkerkemolen (English: ''Old Church Mill'') is a
smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. This type ...
in
Aldtsjerk
Aldtsjerk ( nl, Oudkerk) is a village on the main road from Leeuwarden to Dokkum. It is part of Tytsjerksteradiel municipality, Friesland, the Netherlands and had around 615 inhabitants as of January 2018.
Its annual festivities include the ''Doa ...
,
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
,
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
which has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a
Rijksmonument
A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...
, number 35674.
[ (Click on ''Technische gegevens'' to view.)]
History
''De Oudkerkermolen'' was built in 1864. On 13 March 1955 it was badly damaged in a storm. Repairs cost
ƒ6,734, including new sails at ƒ3,200 and a new
Archimedes' screw
The Archimedes screw, also known as the Archimedean screw, hydrodynamic screw, water screw or Egyptian screw, is one of the earliest hydraulic machines. Using Archimedes screws as water pumps (Archimedes screw pump (ASP) or screw pump) dates back ...
at ƒ1,950. The repairs were carried out by
millwright
A millwright is a craftsperson or skilled tradesperson who installs, dismantles, maintains, repairs, reassembles, and moves machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
The term ''millwright'' (also known as ''industrial mecha ...
De Roos of
Leeuwarden
Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...
. Further repairs were made to the mill in 1963.
The mill drained the Oudkerkerpolder until 1970.
[ A diesel engine formerly provided auxiliary power.][ (Click on ''Geschiedenis'' to view.)]
Description
''De Oudkerkermolen'' is a smock mill whose sails almost reach the ground. The mill has a single-storey brick base. The smock and cap are thatch
Thatching is the craft of building a roof with dry vegetation such as straw, water reed, sedge (''Cladium mariscus''), rushes, heather, or palm branches, layering the vegetation so as to shed water away from the inner roof. Since the bulk of ...
ed. The mill is winded by a tailpole and winch. The four Common sails, which have a span of , are carried on a cast-iron ''windshaft''. This was made by millwright H J Koning of Foxham in 1910. The ''windshaft'' also carries the ''brake wheel'' which has 50 cogs. This drives the ''wallower'' (29 cogs) at the top of the ''upright shaft''. At the lower end of the ''upright shaft'' the ''crown wheel'' (37 cogs) drives the wooden Archimedes' screw via a gear wheel with 34 cogs. The Archimedes' screw has an axle diameter of and is diameter overall. It is inclined at 19½°. Each turn of the screw lifts of water.[
]
Public access
''De Oudkerkermolen'' is open to the public by appointment only.[ (Click on ''Informatie'' to view.)]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ouderkerkermolen
Windmills in Friesland
Windmills completed in 1864
Smock mills in the Netherlands
Rijksmonuments in Friesland
Octagonal buildings in the Netherlands