So goes the mill

Since 1899, corn mill 't Hert has stood at Halvinkhuizerweg 1 in Putten. Sturdy, the mill looks out over the Putter Eng to catch the necessary wind with its imposing sails. Many bags of grain from the nearby fields have already been ground here. But this mill also served as an Eekmolen in the past. Oak bark was ground into run here. The run (or eek) was used, among other things, for tanning ship and mill sails. The run stone in front of the mill still acts as a silent witness. This unique feature gave me another reason to want to visit the mill as my grandfather was a runner and supplied the mill with oak bark in the past.

Every Saturday, Mill 't Hert has a turning day from 10:00 to 16:00, as it did that Saturday when I visited the mill.

Miller Henk was already on standby with miller-in-training Helene. With wind force 4, the mill could catch a lot of wind and the stones could be put into operation. But that takes a lot of skill and attention. Fortunately, as an experienced miller, Henk has solid professional knowledge. He was happy to tell us all about sails up, windmilling and putting the stones into action, but first he had to set the sails on half-sail! Quite a job, but what a beautiful sight to see those two in action.

Brief history

While Henk and Helene pull out all the stops to get the stones working, and occasionally put on the brakes, I browse around and find that:

-the mill has had a turbulent history of lightning strikes, fires and rebuilding from 1557.

-the van de Poll family of bakers came into possession of the mill in 1828 through the purchase of baker Hendrik van de Poll. The initials above the door still refer to this.

-the Hert or 't Hert is a windmill built in 1899, replacing the burnt down wooden octagon. The mill's beard reads 1899, and the wooden octagon came from the Zaan region but is currently located in Putten.

-The name refers to Putten's municipal coat of arms on the mill, which features a deer.

Mill attic, granary stone attic

After the fresh air outside, it was time to see the mill inside under the expert guidance of miller Henk. Stepping inside, I am overwhelmed by the beautiful sound of grinding stones and the nostalgic surroundings. We go up a narrow staircase and then find ourselves in the grinding attic. The grinding attic is the floor in a grain mill where the newly ground corn arrives through a tube and is collected in sacks. The mill is already well underway and ground corn is rolling out of the tube. Helene is quick to catch this precious good and finished product.

We let Helene collect the ground corn and move up another attic and enter the granary.The attic for storing the corn yet to be ground. There are no other tools in this attic, but there is another millstone with tools, including a so-called butt hammer. This billen hammer is used for "billening" the millstone. Grinding wears down the stones, so the millers have to "billen" the stones. They tap a deeper pattern into the stones with so-called billen hammers, again increasing the cutting power. The billing of mill stones is quite an art and a precise job. Millers used to do this often at night.

Next up another flight of stairs and there you will find the stone attic.The stone attic is where the millstones are set up.Miller Henk explains that the upper millstone, the runner, rotates over the girder, grinding the corn. In between, the corn falls through the crop hole into the rotating runner on the girder.

Impressed by the miller's skill and craft, I bid farewell to miller Henk and apprentice miller Helene. Thanks to the volunteers, it is possible to maintain this monumental icon and expand the millers' guild.

I could not resist the temptation to buy another packet of speculaas flour .Since the mill day 2023, the mill also sells flour products. Although not ground at the mill, it is from the region.

So would you like to witness this feat of craftsmanship and see the mill in all its glory? A miller is present every Saturday from 10:00 to 16:00. Just check the website Home - Korenmolen 't Hert - molenhethert.nl in advance, where you will find not only a lot of extra information, but also all days of operation and the wind forecast.

Or visit the National Windmill Day and Open Monument Day. When the dates are known, they will appear on the website of VVV Putten Events page VVV Putten | VVV Putten

Admission is free but a small donation is very much appreciated.

This blog was written by Lia Nijkeuter on 3 November 2023....