Moulin Gustot

Moulin Gustot is a historic windmill standing at the edge of the village of Opprebais, part of the municipality of Incourt in Walloon Brabant, right along the road leading toward Sart-Risbart. Perched on raised ground, it can be seen from a considerable distance, making it a familiar landmark for people in the area — sometimes described as the "lighthouse" of Opprebais.

Where did this windmill come from?

The first mill on this spot was built in 1826 by a man named Rosy. It was a wooden structure set on an octagonal brick base, a construction style typical of windmills in this region during the early nineteenth century.

Several decades later, following an authorization granted on 11 April 1850, the mill was entirely rebuilt by the Gustot brothers, millers who gave the windmill the name it still carries today. It was their reconstruction that gave the building its current brick form.

What does Moulin Gustot look like?

The windmill takes the shape of a truncated cone built from whitewashed brick and stands roughly 13 metres tall. It belongs to the rotating-cap type: rather than the whole structure turning to face the wind, only the upper cap, carrying the machinery and sails, rotates, while the brick base stays fixed in place. This design allowed millers to adjust the sails to changing wind directions more quickly and with less effort.

How long did the mill operate, and what happened to it afterward?

Moulin Gustot remained in active use as a working mill until 1927. It is worth noting that it is the sole survivor of the four windmills that once stood in the village of Opprebais during the nineteenth century — the others did not survive into the modern era.

In 1991, the mill and the surrounding grounds were purchased by the municipality of Incourt. Between 1995 and 1998 it underwent a thorough restoration as part of a broader rural development initiative.

The mill's history has not been free of setbacks. In early January 2012, a violent storm tore off one of its sails. Repairs took 15 months to complete: new sails, made of galvanized steel and measuring 10 metres each, were brought in from the Netherlands. Following this restoration, in 2014, Moulin Gustot was officially listed as a protected historical monument in Wallonia.

Why is it worth seeing?

Moulin Gustot is regarded as one of the finest examples of this type of windmill in the whole of Walloon Brabant. Its whitewashed silhouette, visible from surrounding fields and roads, forms a distinctive feature of the local landscape — one reason it has earned the nickname "the lighthouse of Opprebais."

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Moulin Gustot located? It stands at the edge of the village of Opprebais, along the road leading to Sart-Risbart, within the municipality of Incourt in Walloon Brabant.

How old is this windmill? The first structure dates back to 1826, but the mill owes its current brick form to the 1850 reconstruction carried out by the Gustot brothers.

Is the mill still operating? No — it worked as an active mill until 1927. Today it stands as a listed monument and local landmark, owned by the municipality of Incourt.

Can visitors go inside? The windmill is mainly a landscape attraction, viewed from the outside while walking or hiking the trails around Opprebais and Sart-Risbart.

What happened to its sails? In January 2012, a storm destroyed one of the sails. Repairs, using new steel sails brought from the Netherlands, took 15 months to complete.