Westermolen

Westermolen is a wooden post mill standing in Lembeke, a village within the municipality of Kaprijke in East Flanders, Belgium, at the corner of Windgatstraat and Westermolenstraat. While the mill you see today dates from 1785, milling on this exact spot goes back much further — a windmill already stood here in 1372, and parts of that older structure were reused when the current Westermolen was built.

Where does the name come from?

"Westermolen" translates roughly to "western mill," which implies there was once a companion "Oostermolen" (eastern mill) nearby. That counterpart has long since vanished without a trace, leaving Westermolen as the sole survivor. The mill has also historically been known under the local name "Den Abeel."

A history marked by damage and repair

The mill's story hasn't been uneventful. Toward the end of the 16th century, it suffered damage during a period of iconoclastic unrest that swept through the region. The consequences lingered for generations: a repair carried out in 1807 reused a wooden beam salvaged from the earlier mill, a small but telling detail showing how closely tied the structure remained to its predecessor even centuries later.

A role in World War II

One of the more remarkable chapters in Westermolen's history unfolded during the Second World War. The mill was used by the local resistance as a location for sending messages to England. That clandestine activity is tied to the memory of a resistance fighter who died during the war — the mill has since been preserved partly as a way of keeping that memory alive.

Who looks after it today?

Ownership passed to the former municipality of Kaprijke in 1973, which had the mill restored five years later, in 1978. A more thorough, modern restoration followed in 2016. Since then, the mill has been maintained by a dedicated group of volunteer millers operating under the name Team Westermolen.

Is the mill still operational?

Yes — Westermolen isn't just a static monument. Volunteers regularly grind grain here using two French millstones, keeping the traditional milling process alive rather than treating the structure as a museum piece. Team Westermolen organizes recurring open days when visitors can watch the sails turn in the wind and see the internal gearing at work.

What to expect when visiting

Westermolen sits in Lembeke, part of the municipality of Kaprijke in the province of East Flanders. The setting is typical of the flat, rural Meetjesland landscape, and the mill offers a genuine historical experience rather than a purely decorative one — visitors can see an 18th-century windmill functioning much as it would have generations ago. For anyone interested in industrial heritage or regional wartime history, the site combines traditional milling craft with a tangible link to the resistance movement of the 1940s.

Frequently asked questions

When was the current mill structure built? The present Westermolen dates from 1785, incorporating elements of an earlier mill that had stood on the same site since 1372.

Does the mill still grind grain? Yes, on two French millstones, run by volunteers from the Team Westermolen group.

What role did the mill play during World War II? It served the local resistance as a point for sending messages to England.

When was the most recent major restoration? In 2016, following an earlier restoration in 1978 after the mill passed to the municipality of Kaprijke in 1973.