Goethalsmolen

The Goethalsmolen is a historic windmill standing in Wakken, a sub-municipality of the Belgian municipality of Dentergem, on the banks of the river Mandel. This round brick mill of the stellingmolen type — a standing mill raised on a masonry base with an external gallery — spent decades grinding grain and pressing oil, and today stands as one of the region's best-preserved pieces of industrial heritage in West Flanders.

How did the Goethalsmolen come to be built?

The mill's story begins in 1787, when Joseph François De Borchgraeve, born in Wakken in 1748, obtained permission from the Count of Wakken to build a mill for grinding buckwheat. At that time it was a simple post mill (standerdmolen) — a wooden structure that rotated on a central post. The count's approval was required because he owned his own ban mill, which local residents were otherwise obliged to use.

When did the mill change shape?

The original wooden structure did not survive unchanged for long. By 1810 a stone mill of the grondzeiler type — a ground-set stone mill — already stood in its place, serving as both a grain mill and an oil mill. A more significant rebuild followed in 1834, when the structure was raised into a stellingmolen: a standing mill of seven storeys, a ground floor plus six lofts. This taller form let the sails clear the surrounding buildings even as the area around it grew more built up.

What happened in the age of steam?

The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought a gradual shift away from wind power. In 1881 a steam engine was installed in the mill, and at that point the sail cross and cap were removed — the structure stopped operating as a windmill and continued running purely on mechanical power. In 1908 a new steam engine was fitted, and production continued without interruption into the 1950s, when steam power was finally replaced by an electric motor.

How was the mill rescued?

Once industrial activity ceased, the building fell into disrepair over the following decades. The turning point came on 15 November 1994, when the association Goethals-Wind-Koren-Oliemolen was founded with the goal of saving the mill and restoring it to working condition. From that point on, systematic conservation work was carried out on the mill's body. In 2002 the Goethalsmolen was officially listed as a protected monument, opening the way to a full restoration.

How did the restoration unfold?

The key phase of the work took place between 2011 and 2012. In 2012 the cap and sail cross were reinstalled, the mechanism's supporting framework was reattached, and the mill regained its ability to operate — for the first time since 1881 it could once again turn its sails under wind power, just as its builders had originally intended more than two centuries earlier.

What is the Goethalsmolen like today?

Today the mill, also known as Molen D'Hondt-Goethals, stands on Molenstraat in Wakken and remains in working order thanks to years of effort by the local community and the association that cares for it. Its distinctive round, brick form with an external gallery at stelling level stands out in the landscape of this part of Dentergem, drawing visitors interested in the history of milling and the region's industrial architecture.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Goethalsmolen located? The mill stands in Wakken, a sub-municipality of Dentergem in West Flanders, on the banks of the river Mandel.

What type of mill is it? It is a brick stellingmolen — a round standing mill on a masonry base with a gallery, rising seven storeys.

What was the mill used for? Originally for grinding buckwheat, and in later forms it served as both a grain mill and an oil mill.

Is the mill still operational? Following the 2011–2012 restoration, the mill is technically operational again and can run under wind power.

Does the mill go by another name? It is also known as Molen D'Hondt-Goethals.