Faddersbøl mill

From water to wind

Right here by the river in Faddersbøl was a water mill powered by the water that ran from Sjørring Lake and southwards. When drainage of Sjørring Lake began in 1859, wide canals were dug out to lead the water away. The water mill was in the way and was therefore closed. However, there was still a need for energy, and the present mill was built instead.

Faddersbøl mill is a Dutch mill, and as the name indicates it was developed in the Netherlands, where these mills drove the pumps in large drainage projects. The Dutch mills were constructed so that the sails and the cap can rotate and follow the wind direction, whereas the mill building itself is permanent. Large gear wheels are used to turn the cap, while other wheels transfer the power from the sails to the grinder inside the mill building using a rather complicated system.

The farmers of the area could get their cereals milled into flour at Faddersbøl mill. The milling business gradually developed into an animal feed business and later into a grocer's shop where you could buy various household products. Faddersbøl mill was closed in 1968, by which time this technology had become outdated. The mill then stood bereft of its sails for many years, only covered in galvanised tiles, but the Danish Nature Agency and local forces took the initiative to restore the mill, so now the mill has its original appearance both on the inside and on the outside.

The mill cellar has a poster exhibition during the summer months. The exhibition displays the nature and landscape surrounding the mill as well as the cultural background and history of mills.

Using the forces of nature

The wind holds a power that can be converted into energy. The new wind turbines produce electricity, whereas the power in the old mills was transferred through gear wheels directly to a grinder or a simple machine inside the mill house. The forces of nature are also exploited in the water mills that are driven by the current in watercourses, and we assume that the first mills in Thy were built around 1,000 years ago.

Nature surrounding the mill

The area around the mill is grazed to maintain the view to the mill. If you are lucky, you can see otters and dippers in the runnel passing by the mill. From the mill there are two hiking routes, and one of them ends at Ålvand Klithede dune heath. The other leads to a relatively newly-planted forest, which has a fenced-in off-leash dog park.

Faddersbøl mill is open every day from 10am-6pm from 1 April-19 October.