Geremolen De Blauwe Wip is located in Hazerswoude-Rijndijk, a village in the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn in the province of South Holland. It is a seesaw mill, a typical Dutch mill type that was mainly used to drain polders.
The mill was originally built in 1639, making it one of the older mills still in existence. The Blauwe Wip was used to keep the polder dry by pumping the water up to a higher canal or ditch.
Until 1 January 1958, the polder was operated by wind power. After it was decommissioned, its state of repair deteriorated rapidly. In 1967, they applied for a demolition permit, but it was not granted.
The mill is a national monument and has been regularly restored, including in 1976 and 1986, to keep it in good condition. It has been grinding since the summer of 2013, but today it is mainly used for educational purposes and to preserve cultural heritage.
Like most seesaw mills, De Blauwe Wip has a wooden upper house resting on a stone substructure. The upper house can rotate to turn the sails into the wind.
The mill is sometimes open to the public, but this is usually on special days such as National Windmill Day. Visitors can then see the old grinding mechanism and learn about the history of polder management.
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