I recently explored a beautiful windmill in Delft, the Netherlands, right near the main Delft tram stop (tram 1).
The windmill, de Roos windmill (The Rose), was built in 1679 and was used for the grinding of corn. However, the first mention of a mill in this particular location was in 1352.
In fact, de Roos windmill is the only remaining windmill of fifteen mills that once stood in the Delft region. De Roos was originally a wooden windmill but in 1679 it was torn down and a new, much larger stone mill took its place. This is evident in an illustration by Balthazar Joosz from 1822.
In the 1980’s the mill became a bit lopsided due to poor drainage of the area. More recently, the structure of the mill has been reinforced and in 2012 the mill was lifted up one meter on supporting steel. This was done so that tunneling below (for the construction of a new railway tunnel in Delft) could become a reality. Later in 2012, the mill was lowered and it now sits comfortably and fully supported on the roof of the new train tunnel.
I was lucky enough to enter this windmill and climb to the top. Entry was made possible by Hollandsche Molen – an organisation working towards the protection of windmills in The Netherlands. The organisation’s recent campaign, 90 Years of Dutch Windmills, allows people from all over The Netherlands to explore these magnificent structures (many of which are not always available for public viewing).
De Roos has seven floors and you can see an exhibition about the history of windmills in the Delft area in its attic. You have to climb up a number of very narrow ladders to get to the top. But the view from the top is totally worth it and you can see the numerous churches of Delft and the lovely little Dutch houses.
De Roos windmill is active and turning every single Saturday and if the flag is hanging from the windmill, then it is free to enter. You can get to de Roos windmill by taking Tram 1 from Den Haag (The Hague) ‘Spui’ tram stop. The stop is Delft Tanthof and the windmill is literally a two minute walk from the stop (Phoenixstraat 112, Delft).
Observe the power and majesty of de Roos windmill in the below video:
Take a look at the many other attractions and things to do in Delft here.
Elizabeth Joss-Bethlehem
Elizabeth Joss-Bethlehem is the founder and main writer at The Museum Times. She works as a university lecturer by day and is an avid travel blogger and arts and culture enthusiast by night. Elizabeth started The Museum Times out of the need to give smaller, lesser-known museums more exposure.
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Hi! Elizabeth,
Found your article on De Roos very interesting, in the context of what I am currently involved in. I am working on developing a Twinning Agreement between the City of Delft and The Island of Delft in The Northern part of Sri Lanka. Would you believe it an Island with the name DELFT in faraway Sri Lanka? Yes, my country was once ruled by the Dutch and one of the Governors named this island Delft. If the Twinning works out, I 3ould like to have a miniature De Roos built there; it could generate wind power!
Shall wait for you.
You may be interested to know that I once worked for ABN AMRO bank in Sri Lanka!
Cheers and Good Day.
Emmanuel Gunaratnam (Mobile /Watsapp – 00 94 777 712 407)
Dear Emmanuel, that’s amazing! Thanks for sharing that. I honestly didn’t know that there’s a connection. I’ll definitely look into this! Have a great day.