Hostensmolen, Ruiselede

Hostensmolen is a stone windmill standing in Ruiselede, a small municipality in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. The mill takes its name from the Hoste family of millers, who ran it for decades, and today it stands as one of the visible reminders of the region's agricultural past.

Where does the name Hostensmolen come from?

The name traces back to the Hoste family, who took over operation of the mill in the twentieth century and kept it running as a working grain mill for years. It's their surname that stuck as the mill's popular name, even though the structure's history reaches much further back than the Hoste era.

What stood here before the stone mill?

Before the current masonry windmill was built, a wooden post mill occupied the site. It was constructed in 1774 by Vincent Scheere and served the community of Ruiselede for decades. Ownership passed through the Vincent family in the first half of the nineteenth century — first to alderman Jan-Baptist Vincent, then to his son Vincentius. The wooden structure remained in use until the middle of the nineteenth century, when it was eventually replaced.

When was the mill rebuilt in stone?

In 1865, the original wooden post mill was replaced by the stone windmill that still stands today. The new construction was built to handle both grain milling and oil pressing from oilseeds, giving the mill a dual function and, thanks to its sturdier masonry design, a longer lifespan than its wooden predecessor.

What disasters struck the mill over the years?

The early twentieth century brought repeated damage. In 1909, and again in 1911, the mill's sails were severely damaged by lightning strikes — a common hazard for wooden mill components at the time. An even more dramatic blow came during the liberation of Belgium from German occupation: on September 8, 1944, the mill suffered serious damage amid the fighting that took place in the area.

Who was Raymond Hoste?

In 1937, the mill passed into the hands of Raymond Hoste, a descendant of a family of millers, who operated it commercially until 1955. It was this period that cemented the Hoste name's association with the mill, a link that persists in its name today.

How was the mill restored?

After years in which the structure gradually lost its original working function, the municipality of Ruiselede purchased Hostensmolen in 1997. Two years later, in 1999, a thorough restoration was carried out. As part of the project, a new building was added alongside the mill, housing a meeting room and sanitary facilities — turning the site into something useful for the local community, not just a monument to look at from the outside.

Is the mill still operating today?

Since September 2001, Hostensmolen has been back in operation, with its sails regularly set turning, particularly on Sunday mornings, when visitors have the best chance of seeing the mill actually at work. The body of the windmill is painted white, and a wooden gallery running around the structure at height remains one of its most recognizable features, once used by millers to access and adjust the sails.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Hostensmolen located? The mill stands in the municipality of Ruiselede, in the province of West Flanders, in northwestern Belgium.

Can visitors see the mill in operation? Yes — it is regularly kept turning, especially on Sunday mornings, giving visitors the chance to see a working windmill in action.

Where does the mill's name come from? From the Hoste family, whose member Raymond Hoste ran the mill as a miller from 1937 until 1955.

Has the original structure survived unchanged? No — the wooden post mill built in 1774 was replaced by the current stone windmill in 1865, and the building visible today is the result of a full restoration completed in 1999.