Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Schoorl

The Groetermolen (Groeter Mill) is a octagonal polder mill built in 1890, after its predecessor burned down a year earlier due to a lightning strike. The mill is a so-called ground sailer. Until 1977 the windmill was used exclusively for draining the Groeterpolder . In that year an electric pump was installed, as a result of which the windmill was no longer used. Today, both the windmill and the electric pumping station ensure the drainage of the 220 ha Groeterpolder . In 2020 the Groetermolen made over 933.000 rotations.

The Vogelmeer (Bird Lake) is located in the middle of the open area of the Schoorlse Duinen . This wet dune valley was dug in the 1970s. There are always birds to be seen on and around the water. The lake owes its name from the many seagulls that used to breed here, but foxes have driven the birds away to a large extent. Black Aberdeen Angus cattle roam freely in the area around the lake and use the water to drink. If there is sufficient frost, the Vogelmeer is one of the most beautiful skating spots in the Schoorl area. To reach the 'ice rink' one has to walk about half an hour. During our visit in the winter - February 2021 - there was plenty of skating on the lake in an almost fairytale-like setting.

The Schoorlse Duinen (Schoorl Dunes) is a nature reserve nearby the village of Schoorl. If you walk around it is hard to imagine, but around 1900 the sand still had free play, until Staatsbosbeheer - a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves - started planting trees, not for recreation, but to prevent the dunes burying the villages. Now there is heathlan and forests of pine trees and perennial trees. The Schoorlse Duinen do have the highest dune (55,4 meters ) and the widest dunes (5 km) of the Netherlands. It also offers some dune lakes, among them the Vogelmeer (Bird Lake). On a beautiful but freezing winter's day, we walked the so-called roet route (soot trail). This route took us along places which were hit by forest fires in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Fortunately nature is starting to recover slowly, but surely.

Relatively few of the 1.170 remaining windmills in the Netherlands were ever used to grind flour; instead, most worked as irrigation systems throughout the low-lying country. Even today many still function as backups for more modern Dutch water management systems. Windmill Kijkduin - located in the village of Schoorl - is one of the country’s oldest working grain refinement mills. The windmill is a round stone ground sailer and was originally constructed in 1772. Even before 1575, there was a windmill on this site, which was set on fire by retreating Spanish soldiers in that year. It was not until 20 years later that a new mill - presumably a post mill - was built, which was demolished in 1771 and replaced by the current mill. The mill was in regular use until 1935. After the Second World War, several restorations were carried out, and since 1973 the mill has been grinding again. Windmill Kijkduin is nowadays open to the public on Saturdays and grinding takes place when there is sufficient wind. The mill has a shop where various types of flour are sold to the catering industry, residents of Schoorl and tourists.

The Groetermolen (Groeter Mill) is a polder mill built in 1890, after its predecessor burned down a year earlier due to a lightning strike. The mill is a so-called ground sailer. Until 1977 the windmill was used exclusively for draining the Groeterpolder . In that year an electric pump was installed, as a result of which the windmill was no longer used. Today, both the windmill and the electric pumping station ensure the drainage of the 220 ha Groeterpolder . In 2020 the Groetermolen made over 933.000 rotations.

The Hargermolen (Harger Mill) is a polder drainage mill, which was built in 1804. The current mill replaced an earlier mill, which was destroyed during fighting between an Anglo-Russian army and the then French rulers of the Netherlands. This area has been home to a windmill since the early 15th century, but where the original mill was destroyed, the current structure has survived the ravages of storms and fire. The reed-covered octagonal Hargermolen was used to drain the Harger- en Pettemerpolder . Until 1962 the mill was solely operated by wind. In that year a diesel engine was added. Nowadays the mill is still suitable for drainage the polder and is working on an occasional basis, manned by a volunteer.

Wooden breakwater at the beach of Schoorl, nearby “De Kerf’, a man made opening through the first row of dunes. Breakwaters are constructed to absorb the energy of the waves, intended to prevent the erosion of sand along the coast. Usually they stand perpendicular to the dunes. These breakwaters are very rare along the coast of North Holland, so I was quite lucky to find one. (In Zealand and Zeelandic Flanders they are quite common.)