Mill De Zandweg

Mill at the Zuiderpark in Charlois.

About the Zandweg

The history of this mill as a grinding tool is rather obscure. Already at the beginning of the 20th century, 'De Zandweg' fell out of operation and fell into disrepair. When the municipality of Rotterdam purchased the mill in 1959, it was in a downright desolate condition.

The restoration started in 1960 and was completed in 1962. It was a big job, because after all those years of neglect, the counter (rack), hood and wicker cross had to be completely renovated. On this occasion, unfortunately, the mill building/warehouse that was built against the mill was demolished.

This restoration was made from the amounts that the municipality had received from the fire insurance after the fire of the mill 'De Noord' on the Oostplein. It burned down in 1954, but it took a while for the insurance company to come around.

The mill is one of the few in the Netherlands that is fully equipped with a sprinkler system. Below is a pair of stones with the so-called hole sharpener; This was also used for grinding a long time ago.

The mill also contains various old parts from various mills in the region. These are displayed in the second attic. There is a shop at the bottom of the mill; it was out of use for a long time, but flour products have been sold again for some time now.