De Woudaap, Polder windmill in Krommenie, Netherlands
De Woudaap is an eight-sided polder windmill in Krommenie with a reed-covered exterior and an internal winding mechanism for pumping. The structure sits on a raised embankment and features long rotating blades that move water from fields into nearby waterways when the wind blows.
This windmill was built in 1651 to keep the boggy polder land dry for farming. In 1948, the area it served merged with a neighboring polder, creating a larger water management zone.
The name refers to the polder that locals once drained and managed for farming. Walking around it today, you can see how this structure was central to the way communities controlled water in this region.
The mill is located at Woudaap 2 and can be spotted easily from the surrounding embankments and waterways. The site sits on flat terrain and is reasonably accessible, though visitors should expect uneven ground in places.
An electric motor was added to this mill in 1951 to help with pumping when wind was insufficient. The structure also inspired a popular Dutch children's book series with imaginative stories set around a similar building.
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