De Bente, Dalen

De Bente
De Bente, February 2008
Origin
Mill name	De Bente
Mill location	De Bente 40, 7751 GM Dalen 52°41′17″N 6°45′05″E / 52.68806°N 6.75139°E
Operator(s)	Gemeente Coevorden
Year built	1814
Information
Purpose	Corn mill
Type	Smock mill
Storeys	Three-storey smock
Base storeys	Two-storey base
Smock sides	Eight sides
Number of sails	Four sails
Type of sails	Common sails
Windshaft	Cast iron
Winding	Tailpole
Number of pairs of millstones	Three pairs
Size of millstones	Two pairs are 1.50 metres (4 ft 11 in) diameter each

De Bente is a smock mill in Dalen, in Drenthe province of the Netherlands. It was built in 1814. The mill has been restored to full working order. It is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 44563^[1]

History

De Bente was built in 1814 It replaced a mill that had been burnt down on 12 December 1813,^[1] through the actions of Cossacks attacking the French garrison in Coevorden. This mill was a post mill.^[2] De Bente worked until 1944 when two sails were lost. The other pair of sails were lost in 1957. The mill was later demolished, leaving the base which was incorporated into a modern mill.^[3] It was restored in 1977 by millwright J D Medendorp of Zuidlaren.^[4] A new smock was built on the existing base. Machinery from a demolished windmill at Großheide, Lower Saxony, Germany was incorporated. In 1994, miller Hans Petit rented the mill, and had it restored to working order. In 2001, a third pair of millstones was installed. The mill produces about three tonnes of flour a week by windpower.^[3]

Description

De Bente is what the Dutch describe as an "achtkante stellingmolen", an eight-sided smock mill with a stage. The stage is 4.10 metres (13 ft 5 in) above ground level.^[5] The mill has a three-storey smock on a two-storey base. The smock and cap are thatched.^[6] The Common sails have a span of 22.00 metres (72 ft 2 in). They are carried on a cast-iron windshaft dating from 1866,^[5] which originally came from a windmill at Koekange and has been shortened.^[4] It was cast by the millwrights Enthoven of Den Haag.^[3] The wooden clasp arm Brake wheel has 60 cogs.It drives the wallower at the top of the upright shaft. The wallower has 33 cogs. At the bottom of the upright shaft, the great spur wheel with 115 cogs drives two lantern pinion stone nuts, each with 33 staves.^[1] There are two pairs of millstones which are 1.50 metres (4 ft 11 in) diameter. One pair are of Cullen stones, the other pair have a Cullen runner stone on a French Burr bedstone.^[5] A third pair of stones was added in 2001.^[3]

Millers

• Hans Petit (since 1994)

Reference for above:-^[3]

Public access

De Bente is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 13:00 to 17:00, on Saturdays from 10:00 to 17:00 and at other times by appointment.^[7]

References

1. "Dalen, Drenthe" (in Dutch). Molendatabase. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
2. "Database van Verdwenen Molens in Nederland" (in Dutch). Molendatabase. Retrieved 13 August 2009. (enter 2705 in box marked DB nr:, then click on underlined link)
3. "GESCHIEDENIS VAN MOLEN DE BENTE" (in Dutch). Molen de Bente. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
4. "Geschiedenis" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 13 August 2009.(Click on "Geschiedenis" to view)
5. "Technische gegevens" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 13 August 2009. (Click on "Technische gegevens" to view)
6. "Algemeen" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 13 August 2009. (Click on "Algemeen" to view)
7. "Informatie" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Retrieved 13 August 2009.(Click on "Informatie" to view)

External links

• De Bente website (Dutch)

Dutch Rijksmonument 44563