Explore Groot Ammers and surroundings

When you think of Alblasserdam as a cyclist, you can hardly help but think of windmills. The vast peat area is intersected by ditches, canals and two small rivers: the Alblas and the Giessen. The area owes its characteristic, historical identity with names to the many windmills that stand along the Kinderdijk in Nieuw-Lekkerland.

The mills are on the World Heritage List and are a defining feature of the area. All these mills ensured that the excess water that reached the Alblasserwaard when flooding occurred was pumped up. It was then discharged into the river via locks. This even happened without electrical assistance during the Second World War.

But along the way you will also encounter other mills that are not on the Kinderdijk. The first mill you see is even a mill ruin. The Fundering Sluismolen (body/remains) is the remains of a hollow post mill that burned down completely in June 1979. The damage was so great that it was never repaired, but the mill had already been dismantled earlier (in 1970) and had already lost its function. The foundation of the mill has been preserved as a national monument.

The Achtkante Molen is also on the route. This mill is also located in Groot-Ammers, but it stands out among the previous hollow post mills because of its shape. The mill from 1805 replaces a hollow post mill that burned down earlier that year. This mill also drained the Liesveld polder until the mid-1970s.

The construction of the Kleine Molen, also called Kleine Tiendweg Molen, is unknown. What is known is that the hollow post mill used to be part of a mill run with three lower and two upper mills. It can be determined that the mill dates back to before 1751. The mill was restored in 1977/1978. The mill is operational in the circuit, because the two upper mills that drained the water were destroyed by fire.

 The Oude Weteringmolen in Streefkerk is also a hollow post mill. The mill dates from 1751 or earlier and has been in operation for 200 years. The mill grinds in a circuit, because the old watercourses no longer exist.

Then you pass a hollow post mill from 1581. The Broekmolen was built with an open scoop wheel. It drained the polder of Streefkerk until 1951.

The Goudriaanse mill is proudly displayed on the Molenkade of the Smoutjesvliet in Goudriaan. This polder mill was built in 1779 to drain the Oud-Goudriaan polder. It replaced another hollow post mill that stood here before. Because the mill is inhabited, it cannot be visited.

In Langerak there is another hollow post mill, but this one is even older than the previous one. In 1652 the mill was placed, together with two other mills. The mill has always been neatly maintained and parts that needed replacing were also replaced. In this way it stood the test of time and a volunteer miller can still drain the polder with the Westermolen.

Next you see the Achtkante Molen. This mill is also located in Groot-Ammers, but it stands out among the previous hollow post mills because of its shape. The mill from 1805 replaces a hollow post mill that burned down earlier that year. This mill also drained the Liesveld polder until the mid-1970s.

During the second part of the route you will also encounter a well-preserved mill run of three hollow post mills in Groot-Ammers: the Achterlandse Molen, the Graaflandse Molen, the Gelkenes Molen. The mills are believed to have been built around 1596 or even earlier. The three mills drained the Liesveld polder until 1965.