Watermolen, Hooidonk 8

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction

Ensemble of weir and Hooydonkse mill, both situated on (a branch of) the Dommel. The foundations of the mill most likely date back to the middle of the ninth century; destruction by fire in 1564 and subsequently rebuilt. Restoration in 1983. The Hooydonkse mill was used as a grain, oil, bark and wood sawmill.

Description

TWO WOODEN BUILDINGS, each on rectangular floor plan and at the height of one storey plus roof with thatch and roof ridge, both structures partly over the water on the left and right banks of the branching Dommel built and standing on wooden posts, wooden piles and brick masonry. On the branching Dommel both structures have pointed gables, the other short gables are executed as tent roofs. Between both mill buildings the water-lifting mechanism, being an undershot mill consisting of two open wooden and steel water wheels, four vertically moveable sluice gates with winches, quay walls, spillbed; wooden footbridge with wooden gates which can be closed. The wooden building on the right bank is in use as a dwelling and has a back facade with three horizontal and two vertical multi-pane windows, door, brick stairs; the gable on the branching Dommel is lime-mortar finished and blind except for a small four-pane window; the front facade contains on the left two multi-pane horizontal windows, a wooden clamped door and two small square windows and a horizontal multi-pane window, in the roof a semi-circular roof dormer; right side gable entirely blind. In the roof half in front a semi-circular roof dormer, behind two roof dormers and on the ridge a brick chimney. Wooden building on the left bank, in use as storage but with retention of milling equipment for grain being an old oak timber frame with grinding wheel and a wooden gearing with upper drive, has in the front facade a double door and on the floor above a nine-pane window; both side gables entirely blind; the back gable contains two small nine-pane windows. Semi-circular roof dormer on the back. At approximately 200 metres upstream in the Dommel concrete weir with fish passage and a concrete - non-continuous - bridge for operation of the weir gates. Four overload gates, steel construction, windlasses and steel cables.

Valuation

The ensemble of Hooydonkse mill with weir on the (branching) Dommel represents general importance because: the mill and weir rights have been inseparably connected for centuries, which implies a historical duality expressed in the structures; the weir as a historical device fulfils an essential function in the continued existence of the Hooydonkse mill; mill, weir and Dommel in their coherence provide insight into the history of enterprise and technology as well as into the history of water management and administration; the ensemble of mill, weir and (the branching of the) Dommel offers a remarkable versatile and coherent spectrum of historical experience moments whereby the immediate surroundings, being the area of the former priory of Hooydonk with among others the Agneshoeve (not protected), cemetery with chapel (not protected) and the remains of the priory itself (protected) provides a remarkable dimension.