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More about Hof van Twente – English

Hof van Twente

The best kept secret in the Netherlands!

Markelo, Diepenheim, Goor, Hengevelde, Bentelo and Delden each have their own identity and together they are Hof van Twente. Discover a unique combination of nature, culture and hospitality here in every season. Come to the Hof for an unforgettable experience!

From wick to wheel

There are two historic watermills in Hof van Twente. One spins his paddle wheel in Diepenheim under the name Den Haller (1169). This is the oldest grain mill in Overijssel. Near Delden, the Noordmolen (1347) is located in an idyllic location where linseed oil is extracted from linseed. A few hundred years younger, but just as special, is the historic Houtzaagmolen Twickel (1771). Here you can see how skilled craftsmen used to saw planks from thick oak trees with a steam engine. De Braakmolen was built in 1856 next to the Klompenmuseum (Clog Museum) in Goor. This is an octagonal mill. And if you stop at the Molen van Buursink (1835) in Markelo, don’t leave without a pack of traditional pancake flour. This really makes the tastiest pancakes. The Oelermolen in Oele and the Eschmolen Delden in Delden are also worth a visit.

molenfietsroute.nl - Hof van Twente - VisitTwente

Rich in nature

Nature lovers feel at home in Hof van Twente. From the cultivated park landscape of Twickel in Delden to free nature with heaths and burial mounds on De Borkeld near Markelo: nature in the Hof is special and offers extremes. Go out by (racing) bike or mountain bike, walking, on horseback or by car. The most beautiful routes are waiting for you.

Seven castles full of stories

A fairytale in Twente, all those castles! Near Delden: Twickel castle. In and around Diepenheim: Nijenhuis house, Warmelo castle, house in Diepenheim, Westerflier house, Weldam castle and Wegdam manor. A number of castle gardens are open. You can see all the castles around Diepenheim in one day with the Six Castles Cycle Route. Highly recommended!

Art and culture in abundance

There are few areas in the Netherlands where you will find as much art and culture together as in Hof van Twente. In Diepenheim, for example, you will find the first Dutch Drawing Center and gardens as art, including a tree garden at height! Also stroll through the charming fortified town of Delden full of monuments, the modern art museum No Hero, Salt Museum and Museum Farm Wendezoele!

Always something to do

There is always something to do in Hof van Twente. The extensive agenda with food festivals, markets, walking and cycling tours, exhibitions, lectures and theater performances proves this.Want to know what events there are? Check out the website visithofvantwente.nl.

Tasteful Hof van Twente

From refined chocolate and fatty asparagus to fresh pasta and delicious spelled bread. Or do you enjoy a piece of (Wagyu) meat with a glass of Twente rosé from the Hof? Enjoy your meal all year round at Hof van Twente! Taste many of these delicacies at the Streekmarkt Twente, every first Saturday of the month in Delden. Also visit the truly local shops and join the cozy catering industry for a tasty lunch or dinner with local products and the unique hospitality as an extra ingredient. End the day by staying the night in one of the many accommodations in the Hof.

More about Hof van Twente at visithofvantwente.nl

Would you like to know more about Hof van Twente? Visit visithofvantwente.nl for more information, tips and events. You can also download the most beautiful routes here.

Eschmolen Delden – English

Eschmolen Delden

The summer of 1959 was one of the warmest and driest of the last century. The old Eschmolen, built in 1734, was still at the end of Molenstraat. Due to the advent of electricity, it had been standing still for 45 years and was very neglected. The blades had already blown off as a result of a heavy storm in 1934. Teenage boys from the city regularly climbed in. Most of the reeds had disappeared from the hull, making it easy to climb up the slats. From the hood they had a beautiful view of the Deldeneresch and the horizon.

On July 28 of that year, things went wrong: three boys were smoking in the hood and one of them dropped a burning butt on the bone-dry reeds. This caught fire and smoke was immediately visible on the south side. The mill burned down completely and eventually collapsed.

molenfietsroute.nl - Eschmolen Delden - Delden

Rebuild

The person who lived next to it as a 10-year-old boy and saw it happen, started a lobby for the mill to be rebuilt 50 years later, in 2009. Derk Rouwhorst provided a number of information evenings in ‘t Hoogspel about the history and operation of the Eschmolen. Then the plan for the rebuilding emerged. The “Eschmolen Delden Foundation” was founded with a number of enthusiastic specialists on its board. It soon became clear that many people were supportive of the plan. The foundation now has 500 friends who donate an amount annually. Due to the excellent cooperation with the Twickel Foundation, the Dutch Heidemij, the municipality of Hof van Twente, the province of Overijssel and the Deldense entrepreneurs, the prospects are very positive.

Millers in training

Interest in and belief in the rebuilding of the Eschmolen continues to grow. So much so that three residents of Delden have now registered to take the volunteer miller training course. Board member Ben Uitdewilligen has already started; he is gaining practical experience at the Almelo mill “De Hoop”. Partly due to his enthusiasm, Ron van der Cammen and Bart van de Ven are now also starting the training.

The Guild of Volunteer Millers was founded in 1972. After a two-year training course, candidate millers are tested on their practical experience and theoretical knowledge by the examination committee of the Association De Hollandsche Molen. Volunteer millers are not only of great importance because they keep mills running. They also carry out minor maintenance, receive visitors and tell some things about the technology and history of the mill.

An ornament in the attractive landscape

The new Eschmolen is a fact; a jewel in the attractive landscape of the Deldense Esch and definitely worth a visit. So feel free to cycle by and enjoy a cup of coffee with free stroopwafel.

Address
Molenstraat 80
7491BG Delen
The Netherlands

Website
Eschmolen Delden

De Braakmolen – English

De Braakmolen

In 1856, a mill was built on the Braak, hence the name Braakmolen. This was in fact a relocation of the mill built in 1842 on the road from Goor to Diepenheim (the miller’s house on that road is still a reminder of this). Another mill is being demolished and its hull is used for the construction of the ‘new’ mill. The roof also comes from another demolished mill, namely the mill of Scherpenzeel Castle on the Markeloseweg. However, this hood appears to be slightly too small for the hull, which gives the mill its own character.

Governmentrye

Due to the rise of the steam engine and electrical energy, many mills, including the Braakmolen, came under pressure, which led to the Braakmolen being closed down in 1923. This lasted until 1951 (only for a short time, in 1933, government rye was still milled).

In the meantime, the mill fell into serious disrepair and all other mills in the area had also disappeared in the meantime. With financial support from the government and the province, but also thanks to the contribution from the Community of Goor, the mill was put into use again in 1951. This lasted until 1970, after which the Braakmolen was finally closed down (the two Otte brothers had no successor).

Streamlined Van Bussel

At the end of the seventies, a rescue plan was again drawn up to preserve the mill for future generations, after which De Hollandsche Molen (DHM) took over the Braakmolen in 1981.

A special aspect of the mill is that all blades of the Braakmolen are equipped with the streamlined Van Bussel noses to increase the efficiency of the blades. Two of the blades also have Ten Have valves with which the speed of the blade stroke can be slowed down. The 35 hp electric motor installed in the past enabled the miller to grind grain even when there was no wind.

Grain can still be ground in the mill today and the millers present will be happy to demonstrate this during a visit.

Address
Mulderskamp 2b
7471 PA Goor
The Netherlands

Website
De Braakmolen

Oeler watermolen – English

Oelermolen (Oldemeule / Oelemeulle)

The oldest mention of this watermill is from the loan register of Otto van Bentheim (1346-1364). On May 25, 1334, Ole Mole’s estate was enfeoffed on Evert van Bevervoorde by Simon, Count of Bentheim. Not only the mill is loaned, but also the Nijehuys, or a small castle that once stood to the east of the current mill.

Then we find in the loan registers the names of, for example, the following noble families:

Van Langen (1440)
Van Bevervoorde (1644-1828)
Von Munchausen (1767)
Solomonson (1805)

A lot of hassle

House and mill have been inseparable over the centuries. From the 16th century we also read various stories about the water mill and its millers. For example about Robert miller ‘ter oelder mill’. He is said to have fathered a child out of wedlock that he did not want to know. A lawsuit has even been filed by the mother about this. Water damage has also been claimed by people living upstream because the miller had pushed the water too long and too high to give the mill power.

French revolution

In 1690, a facade stone was placed in honor of the rebuilding of the mill. ‘From the bottom up’ and then the names of the nobles who had arranged this. Renewed from the ground up. Older material was used during the reconstruction. This can be seen from a beam that was used inside the mill and which bears the year 1668. And, during the French Revolution, the coats of arms of the noble families were cut from the facade stone. Too bad, but a nice story.

Two mills and decay

The mill consisted of two mills. One on the left of the mill stream and one on the right. The northern mill still exists. That’s the grain mill. The southern mill has disappeared. That was an oil mill. There is another photo of both from 1883.

In 1880 the mill came into the possession of Twickel and then the oil mill fell into disrepair. After all, Twickel already had a mill, the Noordmolen, also part of this cycle route. We have a nice description of the building complex from a sales advertisement by notary Staring from 1858.

The Oelermolen has been running again since 1976

The flour mill continued to work until the Second World War. In 1971, the dilapidated mill was transferred ‘free of charge’ to the municipality of Hengelo. In 1972 the mill was thoroughly renovated by the municipality of Hengelo. That is why there is still a well-functioning grain mill with undershot wheel here. The water flows against the bottom blades, causing the wheel to turn. First the decay, then the water power. This may not work well at low tide (we as millers know this all too well). They thought of something about that in the past. It is good to see that lower in the mill there was still an axle of an overshot wheel. This allowed the mill to run longer at the time. The available water was directed to the wheel and fell just over the center onto the blades. This caused the wheel to turn.

Since National Mill Day in 1976, the mill has been running again and real grain can be ground. The opening hours can be found at the bottom of the overview on the homepage.

Address
Olde Meulenweg
7554RL Hengelo
The Netherlands

Website
Olermolen

Watermolen den Haller – English

Watermolen den Haller

On the road from Diepenheim to Hengevelde is den Haller corn water mill, which was mentioned early in the Middle Ages.

The Diepenheimse Molenbeek and the Schipbeek

The mill is powered by the water of the Diepenheim Molenbeek, which receives its water from the Schipbeek. The mill is the center of a hamlet consisting of several farms and houses. This is probably also where Diepenheim’s origins lie. One of the farms is now a restaurant.

Beschermd dorpsgezicht

Due to its historical value, the water mill and its surroundings have the status of a protected village view.

The mill was still in operation every day until 1970. The farmers from the area had their grain milled there. While the miller was busy, they had a drink served in the farm where the restaurant is now located. They then took the flour back with them to bake bread or feed it to the pigs.

In good condition

The watermill has been largely preserved in its original form. It stands on wooden poles in the mill chamber. The tarred wooden facades and worn steps show the traces of the past. This does not alter the fact that the mill is in good condition again after a recent restoration.

Address
Watermolenweg 34
7478PW Diepenheim
The Netherlands

Website
Watermolen den Haller

Molen van Buursink – English

Molen van Buursink

In the beautiful village of Markelo, there is 5 heuvels in beautiful food with great natural beauty, the state of de Molen van Buursink. It is a korenmolen, built in 1836 on the street as an octagonal stellingmolen. Het passed the Molen van Buursink as zoveel molens aan het begin van de vorige eeuw. Door de komst van olie- en diesel engines and later electric motors will paint the molenaar onafhankelijk van de wind as hij wilde gaan. The stelling and the wieken were never sea-nodig and are slooped. There was a long period of time between the moles and the romp. Op initiatief van burgemeester Van Haarsman Buma en molenaar Schuurman werd de molen in 1991 grondig gerestaureerd zo heeft men dit stukje agrarische Gescheidis voor het nageslacht kunnen behouden.

Grinding on the wind

Before he starts grinding, the miller sets the sails to the wind. By turning the wheel he can shift the canopy, which is on rollers, until the blades are perpendicular to the wind. To catch more wind, the miller can stretch sails on the blades. When the brake (the catch) is released, the mill starts to turn. Using a system of wooden gears and shafts, the rotation of the blades is transferred to the upper (the “runner”) of the two large round millstones, which are placed in a wooden tub.

The miller dumps the grain into a “cane” and ends up in the shaking bin. This is moved back and forth by the “stone spindle”, causing the grain to fall between the millstones little by little. The stones have grooves that grind the grain. The distance between the stones determines the fineness of the flour and is continuously checked and adjusted by the miller during milling. The flour is collected in bags in the flour loft.

Visit the Molen van Buursink

If you would like to know more about how the mill works and what it was like in the past, pay a visit. We are open from Tuesday to Saturday. For precise opening hours, see the Website, among other things. The volunteers will be happy to welcome you and show you around. From the position you can enjoy the view over the village and the surrounding hills. On random days, with sufficient wind, the mill is actually in operation and grinding can be demonstrated.

Mill shop

There is also a cozy mill shop; There we have baking flour, seeds, honey, mustard, but also the cookies, cake and biscuits baked by the volunteers are very special!

In the Muldershoes coffee, tea or a glass of soft drink is served and there are interesting and fun videos (also for the little ones) and there is historical photo material. When the weather is nice we also have chairs outside.

Address
Stationsstraat 33
7475AL Markelo
The Netherlands

Website
Molen van Buursink

De Twickeler Houtzaagmolen – English

De Twickeler Houtzaagmolen

The Twickeler Houtzaagmolen is located close to the road from Delden to Hengelo, just behind the Carelshaven hotel. The mill was built in 1771 by order of Carel George Graaf van Wassenaer Obdam.

Wind power

Wood has been sawn here for over two hundred years. During that period, various adjustments were made to the machines to ensure that they can always work with the latest techniques. At first they only worked on wind power. If there was no wind, you could see less or no sawing at all. That is why a steam boiler with steam engine was installed in 1881 and the superstructure, including the blades, gradually disappeared. From 1922, the steam drive was replaced by two electric motors. A saw frame was sacrificed to make room for a circular saw. Although the “windmill” has long since disappeared, we still continue to talk about “the mill”. Yet another saw frame had to make way for a horizontal saw machine around 1950.

Restoration

This sawmill was taken out of operation in 1975 after Twickel built a new sawmill next to it for sawing wood. After a period of decline, a thorough restoration took place in 1988 and 1989 and the Twickeler Houtsawmill was reopened in 1990. The management has been taken over by the “Stichting Beheer Houtzaagmolen Twickel”.

Enthusiastic volunteer indispensable

A group of enthusiastic volunteers are constantly working to keep the mill in optimal condition and are ready to welcome you and show you around. Wood is no longer sawn on a commercial basis, but we do show how thick trees were sawn into beams and planks here over the course of two hundred years.

Address
Zaagmolenweg 1
7491BS Delden
The Netherlands

Website
De Twickeler Houtzaagmolen

Contact – English

Contact

If you have any questions about the mills of the Hof van Twente on this website, please contact the mill in question. Contact information is listed at the bottom of the page for the relevant mill.

To protect your privacy, we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Check us out here privacybeleid.

We do not yet have a form. Until then you can send an email to info@molenfietsroute.nl

Our locations – English

Where are our mills located?

On this page you will find an overview per location of where our windmills are located in the Hof van Twente and you can easily navigate there.

Select a place

Delden
Diepenheim
Goor
Markelo
Oele

Delden

Twickeler Houtzaagmolen

Address
Zaagmolenweg 1
7491BS Delden
The Netherlands

Website
Twickeler Houtzaagmolen

Eschmolen Delden

Address
Molenstraat 80
7491BG Delen
The Netherlands

Website
Eschmolen Delden

Noordmolen Twickel

Address
Noordmolen 5
7495VK Ambt Delden
The Netherlands

Website
Noordmolen Twickel

Diepenheim

Den Haller

Address
Watermolenweg 34
7478PW Diepenheim
The Netherlands

Website
Watermolen Den Haller

Goor

Braakmolen

Address
Mulderskamp 2-B
7471PA Goor
The Netherlands

Website
Braakmolen

Markelo

Molen van Buursink

Address
Stationsstraat 33
7475 AL Markelo
The Netherlands

Website
Molen van Buursink

Oele

Address
Oldemeulenweg 2
7554 RL Hengelo
The Netherlands

Website
Oelermolen

Noordmolen Twickel – English

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.

Olieslaan - Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland

Noordmolen Twickel is the initiator of www.oliemolens.nl, which arose from the above Intangible Heritage Netherlands. The website serves as a platform for all twenty oil mills in the Netherlands. This has led to more cooperation and knowledge sharing. The aim is to jointly further promote, perpetuate and further professionalize the oil-mining craft. Visit www.oliemolens.nl or select the logo below.

Address
Noordmolen 5
7495VK Ambt Delden (Hof van Twente)
The Netherlands

Website
Noordmolen-Twickel