Molentje Decroos

Molentje Decroos is a small post mill standing on Palinghoekstraat in Eggewaartskapelle, a village that belongs to the municipality of Veurne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is a modest but historically significant structure: the only surviving example among roughly twenty small windmills that once stood on polder farms across the region. All the others have disappeared over the decades, which makes this little mill a genuine rarity in the local landscape.

Who built this windmill?

The mill was built in 1905 on the initiative of Camille Theophile Decroos, born in 1867 as the son of a miller from the Plaatsmolen in Oostvleteren. Growing up in a family already tied to milling, Decroos later chose to erect his own small windmill for his own farm. It was never an industrial operation aimed at commercial-scale production, but a typical farm mill built to serve the needs of a single household.

What did it look like and what was it used for?

By windmill standards, Molentje Decroos is tiny, standing only around 5 meters tall. Despite its small size, it performed a real economic function: grain was ground into flour here, along with oats and barley destined for animal feed. This kind of work was typical for small farm mills, which spared farmers the trip to larger, more distant commercial mills for everyday milling needs.

Why is the mill protected?

Because of its rarity and historical value, the mill and its immediate surroundings were officially designated a protected monument in 1986. This recognition confirmed that Molentje Decroos is more than a local curiosity — it stands as a tangible witness to the small-scale rural economy that once defined this polder region, and one worth preserving for future generations.

Is the windmill still operational?

Yes, and this is one of the most remarkable parts of its story. Since 2015, volunteer miller Lieven Braeckevelt has kept the mill turning, joined since 2023 by Louwis Legon from Westende. Thanks to their dedication, Molentje Decroos is not a static museum piece but a living piece of technical heritage whose sails can still be set in motion.

In 2018, the mill underwent a thorough restoration. The work included fitting a new wooden rotor with sails measuring 10.30 meters in length, restoring the mill's full mechanical function and bringing its appearance closer to its historical original.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Molentje Decroos located? The mill stands at Palinghoekstraat 8 in Eggewaartskapelle, a village within the municipality of Veurne in the West Flanders province of Belgium.

When was the mill built? It was built in 1905 by Camille Theophile Decroos.

Can visitors see it working today? Thanks to the ongoing work of volunteer millers — Lieven Braeckevelt since 2015 and Louwis Legon since 2023 — the mill is kept in operating condition, offering a rare chance to see a historic farm windmill turning up close.

How does this mill differ from large industrial windmills? Molentje Decroos is a small post mill roughly 5 meters tall, built to serve a single farm's grinding needs — grain and animal feed — rather than for large-scale commercial production, unlike the bigger industrial mills once common in the region.