Artemeers Mill in Poeke
Artemeers Mill is a round stone tower mill. It was built in 1810 probably by Karel Wibo. It was the successor of the nearby Eekhout Mill in the town of Kanegem. Its first owner was Francois Van De Weghe from Poeke. Karel Landuyt-Wautermans became its owner around 1840 and he was succeeded by his widow in 1877.
A year later the mill became the property of Fons Clement-Delmeire, an
oil-presser from Kanegem and from then on it was passed on from one generation
to the next. Its proud owner is now Dr. Luc Goeminne from Zulte, who
knows a thing or two about milling and windmills in general. Some of
the previous millers were Karel Landuyt, Kamiel and Clement Delmeire, De
Sutter, Sander Van Paemel and Roger Van Poucke.
In 1882 the tower was heightened by a meter and the actual West-Flemish type cap was put on.
The mill was originally a grain and oil mill. The oil equipment was removed in 1914. In October 1918 the mill was badly damaged by the retreating German army. Until 1975 on the ground floor there was a Ruston Diesel engine that powered the milling equipment. That was then sold for scrap. The mill served for a little while as a restaurant and as a private home.
It has been carefully restored by the Peel brothers from Gistel in 1975-76 and most of the original equipment is still here and since 1977 it is once again in good working order. The mill was then worked by Roger Van Poucke who had spent a lifetime as a professional miller. There are two pairs of millstones.
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The cap turns on what's called a live curb. That means the cap is carried on rollers on a circular track on top of the tower (a bit like on wheels on a railway track). The cap of the Artemeers Mill turns on 24 cast iron rollers and young Ruud De Keukelaere who showed me around had no trouble turning it even though it weighs about 13 tons. He already had a miller's certificate in his pocket when he was only 16 and since 2005 he is a fully certified miller like his dad who is now responsible for this marvelous mill.
Since 1985 the mill and its surroundings are protected as a monument. The mill is open every Sunday and every other Sunday some grain is milled and the flour is then sold to the public.
More pictures of this beautiful mill
Our text about the windmills of our Meetjesland
Our list of Meetjesland windmills
Back to our text on Poeke
