De Klaver, Spider's head windmill in Bolsward, Súdwest-Fryslân, Netherlands
De Klaver, also known as De Greate Klaver, is a spider's head windmill in Bolsward, in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân in the Dutch province of Friesland. The mill has a round wooden body set on a stone base, with sails that rotate around the outside of the hull rather than from a central tower.
De Klaver was built in 1802 at the initiative of the Lycklama à Nijeholt family to drain the Weeshuispolder, the farmland belonging to the orphanage of Bolsward. After falling into disuse and serious disrepair, it was taken over by Stichting De Fryske Mole in 1980 and fully restored.
De Klaver sits beside the Witmarsumervaart canal and is one of the few remaining spider's head mills still in working order in the Netherlands. The name, meaning "clover" in Dutch, is thought to refer to the rounded wooden body of the mill, which resembles the shape of a clover leaf when seen from above.
The mill sits on the edge of Bolsward near the Witmarsumervaart canal and is easy to reach on foot from the town center. Visiting on a windy day gives the best chance of seeing the sails turning.
Since 2006, De Klaver has served as a backup pumping station during heavy rainfall, stepping in to help the modern water management system prevent flooding when needed. This means an over-200-year-old wooden mill still plays an active role in managing water in Friesland today.
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