Southland, South-Beijerland and New-Beijerland

Beijerland, an area in the province of South Holland also known as Hoeksche Waard, consists of approximately sixty polders. The current Hoeksche Waard was formed after the St. Elizabeth's Flood of 1421, which inundated the area. This flood dramatically changed the waterways in the area. Most of the dikes in the landscape were built between 1538 and 1653. The Eendrachtspolder was constructed on a site that has traditionally been agricultural land. Part of it was constructed to prevent flooding, but also for recreation and (professional) sports. From the parking lot in Zuidland, where you can park for free, cross the water and cycle to Nieuw-Beijerland. Here you'll find a corn mill built in 1703: De Swaen. This mill was formerly called "Windlust," a reference to the element from which it draws its power. Until 1958, the mill ground grain, but in 2013, almost the entire interior was removed, and the ground-sail mill is now used only as a reception center. Another ground-sail mill has stood in Piershil since 1845. When the Simonia mill was installed, it replaced an octagonal mill dating from 1714, which stood in the same location. Two of the three original pairs of millstones are still in the mill, which is used by volunteer millers. The Simonia mill can be visited on Saturdays. The last mill you can see along the route is in Zuid-Beijerland. The round stone grain mill Landzigt was installed in 1857, after several predecessors had already stood on the dike but had fallen into disrepair. The mill caught fire during a heavy storm in 1990, and the Stichting Molen Landzigt (Landzigt Mill Foundation) was established to restore it. Since its restoration in 1992, grain has been ground commercially again using the ground-sail mill.