Te Rullegem, Herzele

Te Rullegem is a wooden post mill standing on the northeast side of Molenstraat in Herzele, in the Belgian province of East Flanders, roughly a kilometer southeast of the village church. It looks like a peaceful landscape feature today, but for centuries it was a working mill at the center of local life.

How old is this windmill, really?

The earliest record of a mill on this site dates back to 1380, when the structure was destroyed during an attack led by Louis of Male, Count of Flanders. What stands here today, however, is not that original building. The current windmill was raised in 1618, when Franciscus du Pre — a carpenter who was also a miller by trade — personally selected fifteen oak trees from the surrounding forest to build it. It is a post mill, one of the oldest windmill designs in Europe: the entire upper body of the structure, sails included, rotates around a central vertical post so the miller could turn the sails to face the wind.

Why couldn't local farmers just use a different mill?

A deed from 1626 confirms that Te Rullegem held the status of a banmolen, or obligatory mill. This meant that residents of the Herzele domain were legally required to have their grain milled here, at the mill controlled by the local lord, rather than at any competing facility. This kind of compulsory milling arrangement was common across medieval and early modern Flanders, functioning as both a monopoly and a steady source of income for the ruling lord.

Who has owned the mill over the centuries?

From the early 16th century until the early 19th century, the mill belonged to the Lord of Herzele, the feudal authority governing the surrounding lands. That changed with the political and economic upheavals of the Napoleonic era: in 1802 the mill was sold at public auction. Ownership shifted again in 1836, when it was purchased by Theofiel Maria Gisleen, Baron van de Woestijne. Since 1905 the mill has remained connected to the du Parc Locmaria family, who maintain ties to it to this day.

What changed at the mill in modern times?

In 1962, Te Rullegem was officially protected as a listed monument, safeguarding it from demolition or uncontrolled alteration. In 1991, the original wooden sails — vulnerable to rot and damage in Flanders' damp climate — were permanently replaced with steel sails measuring 23 meters. The change traded some visual authenticity for durability, keeping the mill structurally sound at a lower long-term maintenance cost.

In 2014, a working horse mill (rosmolen) was rebuilt beside the windmill. This device, powered by a horse walking in a circle, once served as a backup grinding method for days without wind. Its reconstruction recreated the full historical milling landscape at this single site: a wind-dependent mill paired with its weather-independent mechanical counterpart.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the Te Rullegem mill? As a protected monument since 1962, the mill is part of Herzele's local heritage, though access to the interior depends on arrangements made by the mill's caretakers and any scheduled local heritage events.

What makes a post mill different from other windmill types? In a post mill, the entire upper structure rotates on a vertical post together with the sails, unlike tower mills, where only the top cap holding the sail mechanism turns while the main body stays fixed.

What is the horse mill next to the windmill for? The rosmolen is an alternative grinding mechanism powered by a horse rather than wind, allowing grain to be milled even when there was too little — or too much — wind to safely operate the sails.