Noordmolen Twickel

Noordmolen Twickel is more than 650 years old. In May 1347, Herman van Twicklo bought “Huize Eijsink” and the Noordmolens (North Mills) located on the Azelose stream from the gentleman farmer (nobleman) Berend van Hulscher. The deed of sale has been preserved in the archives of Twickel Castle. This refers to the Noordmolens. In the past, there was also a flour mill opposite the current oil mill. This was demolished in 1831.

Restoration

The mill has been restored several times, as can still be seen by memorial stones in the quay walls. The mill was restored in 1917, but downtime, partly due to a lack of water, led to further decline. In the years 1976-1978, the mill building was restored again on behalf of the Twickel Foundation. In 1984 the mill received a new water wheel, which was donated by the Rotary Club Delden-Borne. The restoration of the interior was completed in 1989.

The Noordmolen is back in operation

Volunteers have been keeping the mill running since May 1990. In 2006 another major repair was necessary. Not only the mill, but also the mill wheel, the quay walls and bridge were in need of renovation. In addition, a miller’s house had to be built due to the Working Conditions Act. This residence has been built as much as possible according to the old techniques used in mill construction. This very large renovation project was possible partly thanks to European subsidy (Leader+).

Intangible Heritage

On December 6, 2023, the Olieslaan craft was registered in the Intangible Heritage of the Netherlands inventory. The millers and oil butchers are responsible for transferring the heritage. Volunteer millers play an important role in this, which means that the craft of oil milling has been classified as an intangible heritage. The craft of oil-mining is that intangible heritage.