Beukelaremolen, Merkem

Beukelaremolen is a wooden post mill standing on Rodesteenstraat in Merkem, a village within the municipality of Houthulst in West Flanders, Belgium. It is the only surviving windmill in Merkem, even though as recently as around 1900 the village counted seven mills.

Where does the name come from?

The mill's name most likely derives from a nearby avenue of beech trees ("beuk" is Dutch for beech) that once stood close to its site. Records of a mill in this area go back a long way: as early as 1460 a windmill was mentioned at the nearby Luigem hamlet, and by 1735 sources refer to a post mill known as the "Noordeynde Meulen," shown on the Ferraris map (1770-1778) slightly northwest of the mill's present location. A new post mill was later built on that same spot and given the name "Beukelaer Molen."

What happened to the mill during the First World War?

The area around Ypres and Merkem was the scene of some of the most devastating fighting of the First World War. Beukelaremolen, like the six other windmills in Merkem, was completely destroyed during the conflict. After the war, villagers faced the enormous task of rebuilding homes, farms and infrastructure from scratch, and restoring a windmill was understandably not an immediate priority in the difficult postwar years.

Where does the current structure actually come from?

The mill standing today was not built new in Merkem — it is a considerably older structure relocated from elsewhere. It was originally constructed in the 18th century in Poperinge, where it was known as the Steentjesmolen. Miller Jacobus Duytschaver erected it around 1781 at the Steentje hamlet, on the border with Elverdinge. In 1923 this historic mill was dismantled, moved, and permanently re-erected on Rodesteenstraat in Merkem, replacing the village's own mill lost during the war. In this way Merkem regained a working windmill, even though it was not the same physical building that had stood there before 1914.

What happened to the mill more recently?

For much of the 20th century, Beukelaremolen served as a working mill and later as a heritage landmark and recognizable feature of the village skyline. Its history took a dramatic turn on 29 April 2011, when a severe gust of wind knocked the mill down, causing serious damage to the structure — a heavy blow for a community that had long regarded the mill as a local symbol.

How was the mill restored?

Following the 2011 collapse, restoration efforts got underway, and the work took several years to complete. Around 2015, Beukelaremolen was given what locals sometimes call its "third life": the mill was rebuilt and returned to its familiar spot on Rodesteenstraat.

What can visitors expect to see?

Today Beukelaremolen stands as the last remaining windmill in Merkem and a valuable witness to the region's milling history. Its post mill design, typical of older Flemish windmills, allows the entire body of the mill to be turned to face the wind. The site makes for an interesting stop for anyone interested in local history, industrial architecture, or the traces of the First World War around Ypres, where nearly every historic structure carries a similar story of destruction and rebuilding.

Frequently asked questions

Is Beukelaremolen still operational? The mill survives today mainly as a heritage landmark and village orientation point rather than as an active production mill.

Why is the mill also called Steentjesmolen? That was its original name when it stood in Poperinge, before it was relocated to Merkem in 1923.

What caused the mill's destruction in 2011? A severe gust of wind toppled the structure on 29 April 2011.

How many windmills did Merkem once have? Around 1900 the village had seven windmills — Beukelaremolen is the only one that has survived to the present day.