Westmeersmolen

Westmeersmolen is an unassuming yet historically significant windmill ruin standing along Oostdonkstraat, right beside the Zuidlede waterway in Mendonk – a village now part of Ghent, close to Lochristi. From the outside it looks like little more than a squat stone stump, but it carries the story of East Flanders' centuries-long struggle against water.

Where does the name come from and what was the mill built for?

The name refers to the surrounding "westmeersen" – waterlogged meadows lying west of the Zuidlede that were, for centuries, practically useless for farming because of persistently high groundwater levels. Unlike most windmills, this one never ground grain. Its sole purpose was drainage: pumping excess water out of the polder and channeling it onward to the river Durme.

Who built Westmeersmolen, and when?

The project was the work of Ferdinand Ottevaere, a well-known Ghent lawyer. As early as 1798 he purchased roughly 90 hectares of marshy meadowland between the Zuidlede and Oostdonk in Mendonk, paying more than a million French francs – an enormous sum for the time. It wasn't until 1819, though, that Ottevaere committed to a major undertaking: commissioning a new irrigation and drainage system, with this mill at its core. Structurally it was a round, stone-built ground-sail mill ("grondzeiler," where the whole cap and sails pivot at ground level) fitted with a bucket wheel – a design typical of Flemish polder mills of the era, built specifically to lift water from low-lying meadows into the surrounding drainage network.

What survives of the mill today?

Time has not been kind to the structure. As early as 1896 it was already described as a ruin – it was likely around then that its body (the "romp") was cut down to roughly half its original height. That truncated form is essentially what remains today: a low stone cylinder, a far cry from the full silhouette of a working windmill with sails and cap.

Why is it worth seeing despite being a ruin?

Modest as it looks, Westmeersmolen holds unique value for the region. Together with the octagonal stone body of the Hoosmolen in Drongen, it is the last surviving fragment of a polder mill in East Flanders. That rarity is exactly what makes it a compelling stop for anyone interested in industrial heritage and cultural landscape – a physical reminder of an era when the region's agricultural wealth depended on taming water with simple wind-powered machinery.

What should you know before visiting?

The mill sits in the quiet, rural setting of Mendonk, well away from any tourist crowds – this is a spot for travelers drawn to small, offbeat historical curiosities rather than a headline attraction. Pairing a visit with a walk along the Zuidlede helps put the ruin into its proper landscape context, making it easier to picture the drainage system it once served.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Westmeersmolen? No, it's a permanent ruin – only the lower part of the stone body survives, with no interior or machinery left to view.

How was this mill different from a typical grain windmill? Westmeersmolen never milled grain at all – from the start it served a purely technical role, draining waterlogged meadows and pumping water into the river Durme.

Why is the mill so short today? The upper section of the structure was lost, likely during the 19th century – it was already recorded as a ruin by 1896, with its body reduced to roughly half its original height.