Old Line Photography

April 05, 2012

April 03, 2012

Kinderdijk World Heritage Site


Lovely symmetry!

Nineteen windmills guard the canals and reservoirs of Kinderdijk.


While the windmills have been replaced by modern pumps, they are kept in readiness in case of a crisis.

The Nederwaard windmills were built in 1738.

Across from them, the Overwaard windmills were constructed two years later.

The Overwaard pumping station

This diesel-powered pumping station can move 1,500 cubic meters of water per minute.


Kinderdijk is popular with both tourists and locals. A bike path runs along the canal next to the footpath.

March 28, 2012

Visitors Windmill at Kinderdijk World Heritage Site, the Netherlands

Kinderdijk Visitors Mill

The miller turns this wheel to reposition the mill, causing the windmill's sails to face the wind.

This scoop wheel carries water away from the windmill and toward a reservoir or holding pond.

Inside the mill, wheels and sprockets take up most of the space.

The wheels are made from hardwoods so they will last a long time.

The windmill's shaft is blocked off so tourists can't damage it by mistake.

The miller and his family lived in the remaining spaces inside the mill. One famous miller had 13 children!

The miller and his wife slept in this tiny cabinet bed.

This is one of the 19 windmills at the Kinderdijk World Heritage Site in the Netherlands. We took a boat ride down the canal to see how the windmills were used to reclaim the land for settlement and farming.

Photo copyright 2012 Nancy Parode/Old Line Photography