Windmill of Elene

Windmill of Elene stands in the village of Elene, part of the municipality of Zottegem in East Flanders, Belgium. The mill occupies a rise in an open agricultural landscape, a typical placement for windmills that relied on unobstructed wind flow across the surrounding farmland.

How far back does its history go?

The story of a windmill on this estate stretches back to before 1399, when an earlier mill already stood on the same land. That original structure did not survive: it was destroyed in 1677 during a French invasion, a fate shared by many rural buildings in this part of Belgium during a period marked by repeated military conflicts.

The mill standing today dates from 1762. Its construction followed permission granted by Empress Maria Theresa to Pieter Emanuel Joseph d'Hane. Over the following centuries, ownership passed to the heirs of the d'Hane de Steenhuyze family of Ghent, one of the region's notable noble houses.

What was the mill used for?

For most of its working life, the windmill served a dual purpose as both an oil mill and a corn mill. It ground grain into flour and pressed oil from oilseeds, a common combination for rural windmills in this part of Flanders that allowed the machinery to be put to more than one productive use. The mill remained operational until 1923.

What happened to it in the twentieth century?

The mill suffered damage during the First World War, and efforts to repair and keep it running were abandoned in 1923. From that point on, it ceased its productive function and gradually fell into disrepair, its condition worsening over the following decades without regular maintenance.

How has it been protected and restored since then?

Because of its historical and landscape value, the mill and its surrounding grounds were listed as a protected monument in 1979. A local resident purchased the mill in 1984, and in 1985 architect Pascal Mariman drew up restoration plans for the structure. Beyond urgent stabilisation works carried out in 1984, however, a fuller restoration was never completed.

A new chapter began in 2013, when Baron Baudouin della Faille d'Huysse acquired the mill. New restoration works were planned at that time, but a change in regional heritage funding rules meant the planned restoration ultimately did not go ahead.

What should visitors know about the area?

Today, the Windmill of Elene stands mainly as a reminder of the region's rural economy and industrial architecture. Although the structure itself has long awaited a complete restoration, it remains a recognisable feature of the local landscape and a point of interest for anyone curious about the history of milling in East Flanders. The surrounding countryside around Elene and Zottegem offers a quiet, rural setting typical of this part of Belgium, with numerous other traces of traditional agricultural architecture nearby.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the mill? Given its condition and private ownership status, access to the interior is limited — it is worth checking current information locally or with the Zottegem municipal authorities before planning a visit.

When was the current mill built? The present structure dates from 1762, though an earlier windmill on the same site was already recorded before 1399.

Why was the mill never restored despite the 2013 plans? A change to regional heritage funding rules made it impossible to carry out the restoration that had been planned at that time.