Gerardsmolen, Wippelgem

Gerardsmolen is a historic windmill standing in Wippelgem, a village that belongs to the municipality of Evergem in East Flanders, right next to the Burggravenstroom stream. It's a quiet reminder of just how much the landscape around Ghent and the Meetjesland area used to depend on wind-powered mills grinding grain for local farms.

Where does the mill's name come from?

A mill already stood on this spot before, but the structure visitors see today dates from a rebuild in 1864, when a brick tower replaced the earlier wooden mill at the same location. That reconstruction is linked to miller Gerard Neyt, and it's after him that the mill took the name it still carries: Gerardsmolen.

How did the mill work?

Gerardsmolen was a chain-driven grain mill. Since wind alone couldn't always guarantee a steady workload, the mill was for a time supported by a horse-powered mechanism used on calm days. That arrangement lasted until around 1870, when the horse mill was replaced by a steam engine — a common step for windmills of that era, as they began competing with newer, more reliable power sources.

The mill kept operating until roughly 1940. After that, like many similar mills across the region, it gradually fell into disrepair.

How did it survive to the present day?

Gerardsmolen is now a protected heritage monument. A turning point for its preservation came when the municipality purchased the mill in the 1960s, which opened the door to structured restoration work. The mill was subsequently restored several times — in 1965, 1984 and 2002 — with each round of work aimed at keeping both the exterior structure and the internal milling mechanism functional enough to be demonstrated to visitors.

Today the mill is cared for by a local association of mill enthusiasts working together with the Evergem municipal authorities. Thanks to their involvement, the mill hasn't become a purely static monument — it's still a place where the machinery can actually be seen in motion.

Can you visit Gerardsmolen?

Yes. The mill opens to visitors every second Sunday of the month. When wind conditions allow, volunteers set the sails turning and grind grain, giving visitors a rare chance to watch the entire process a miller would have followed decades ago, from the rotating sails outside to the grinding stones at work inside.

Why stop in Wippelgem?

Gerardsmolen isn't just a point of interest for industrial heritage fans — it's also a natural stop for anyone exploring the countryside around Ghent and the Meetjesland region by bike or on foot. Its setting next to the Burggravenstroom gives the area a calm, rural character that contrasts with the pace of the region's larger towns. For visitors interested in industrial history and rural architecture, this is one of the better-preserved examples of a mill that survived both changing technology and periods of neglect, largely thanks to sustained local commitment.

Frequently asked questions

When was Gerardsmolen built? The current brick mill dates from 1864, when it replaced an earlier wooden mill on the same site.

Where does the mill's name come from? The mill is named after miller Gerard Neyt, connected to its 1864 reconstruction.

Is the mill still operational? Yes — it opens to the public every second Sunday of the month, and grain grinding is demonstrated whenever wind conditions permit.

Who maintains the mill today? A local association of mill enthusiasts maintains it together with the Evergem municipality, which acquired ownership in the 1960s.