Machuutmolen

Machuutmolen is a round, brick-built windmill of the "grondzeiler" type — a ground-standing mill without a raised base — located on Lindestraat in Pollinkhove, a village that belongs to the municipality of Lo-Reninge in the West Flanders province of Belgium. Locally the mill is also known as the Margrietmolen.

Where does the name come from?

The mill's name refers to Saint Machutus, honored by a chapel that once stood in the surrounding area. That dedication gave the windmill its popular name, even though the alternative name Margrietmolen is used just as often in everyday speech.

When was the mill built?

The story of the current structure begins in 1869, when miller Arsène Couzyn petitioned the Permanent Delegation of West Flanders for permission to build a grain windmill on the site. Permission was granted, and construction was completed the following year, in 1870. Notably, a significant amount of the building material came from another windmill nearby, the Hullebrugmolen, which had been demolished that same year, 1869. Reusing timber and stone from a decommissioned mill to raise a new one was a common, cost-saving practice in the region at the time.

How long did it operate as a working mill?

Machuutmolen ground grain continuously until 1958. At some point during its working life an electric motor was added alongside the traditional wind-driven mechanism, a common upgrade that let mills keep milling on calm days or when demand outpaced what the sails alone could deliver.

What happened after milling stopped?

In 1958, the same year milling ended, the windmill was granted protected monument status. That legal protection, however, did not stop physical decline: the structure gradually fell into disrepair. A major obstacle to restoring it has been a complicated ownership situation, with divided or unclear property rights repeatedly derailing efforts to save the building.

Where exactly is it located?

The mill stands at Lindestraat 7 in Pollinkhove, at coordinates around 50.9648°N, 2.7298°E. Pollinkhove itself is a small village within the municipality of Lo-Reninge, in the Westhoek region of West Flanders — an area once dense with grain windmills, only a fraction of which have survived to the present day.

Frequently asked questions

Is Machuutmolen still used to grind grain? No. Milling activity stopped in 1958, and the mill has not been in production use since.

Can visitors go inside? Because of the mill's poor structural condition after decades of neglect, access can be limited — it's worth checking the current situation locally or with municipal authorities before planning a visit.

Why has the mill deteriorated despite its protected status? Being listed as a protected monument since 1958 did not resolve the underlying issue: a fragmented, unclear ownership structure has repeatedly blocked restoration attempts.

Is Margrietmolen a different windmill? No, it's simply an alternative, locally used name for the same Machuutmolen in Pollinkhove.