Langwert, windmill in Winsum, Netherlands
Langwert is a polder windmill in Winsum, Friesland, known as a grondzeiler with sails that reach close to the ground. The structure has an octagonal shape with a rotating roof that allows the sails to face into the wind, turning slowly as it operates.
The original mill was built in 1894 and located near Stelpdijk until it burned down in 1974. A new structure was rebuilt on the same foundation in 1978 and has been maintained as a working historical monument since then.
The mill was once vital to daily life here, helping locals manage their land and process goods using wind power. Today it remains a source of local pride and shows how communities worked with nature to survive and thrive in this water-rich region.
Visits are available by appointment since the mill is a protected monument. Its location near the N359 road east of the Franekervaart canal makes it easy to reach from Winsum, where groups and individual visitors can observe how the machinery operates.
The mill was relocated to its current spot in 1978 after the original building burned in 1974, with the old foundation being reused. A dedicated caretaker named Peter van Dellen has maintained it for years, showing how individual millers keep these structures alive.
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