De Groene Molen, Historic drainage windmill in Joure, Netherlands.
De Groene Molen is a drainage windmill in Joure with horizontal boarded roofing and sails spanning 13.10 meters (43 feet). The structure sits on a single-story base with a roundhouse design and operates through both wind and engine power.
The mill was built around 1800 to drain the Bleeker polder and served as a key tool for land management from the start. In 1937, it received a Lister diesel engine to supplement its wind-powered drainage operation.
This windmill represents traditional Dutch water management methods that shaped how people lived and farmed in low-lying regions. The drainage systems were essential to daily life, as they allowed settlements and agriculture to thrive on otherwise waterlogged land.
You can visit the mill by appointment to see the working Archimedes screw system in action. The screw demonstrates how wind and engine power work together to pump water from the polder.
The mill features a distinctive elevated platform 4.20 meters (14 feet) above ground level, which is characteristic of the rare Spinnenkop met Stelling design type. This raised construction allowed the pumping mechanism to lift water more effectively from the polder.
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