In 1446, the Veenmolen was built on the Haagsche Vliet to drain the vast area on the border of the Voorburg and The Hague districts. This polder area was bordered by the Haagsche Vaart, the land division between Rijnland and Delfland, the Broeksloot, and the Scheijwetering. In 1461, a second mill was needed because one mill was not sufficient for the entire polder area. The area was therefore divided into two polders: the Veenpolder, which was drained by the Veenmolen, and the Binckhorstpolder. The latter polder was drained by the Binckhorstmolen, built in 1461, which stood near Binckhorst Castle on the Haagsche Vaart, the present-day Trekvliet.
In the early seventeenth century, it became apparent that the Binckhorstmolen was functioning inadequately because it was not situated in the right location to keep the farmlands at the rear of the polder dry as well. In 1620, the polder board decided to replace the Binckhorst Mill and build a new mill along the Broeksloot in the middle of the polder. This mill stood some distance into the meadows and was connected to the Broeksloot by an approximately one hundred-meter-long mill ditch or forebay. The mill was built in 1621 and was named the Binnenmolen. It was originally an internal-drive mill, but was later converted into an upper-drive mill. In the eighteenth century, the name of the mill was changed to De Vlieger, also known as Vliegermolen, named after miller Arij de Vlieger.
It also became clear that a second mill was needed in the Veenpolder: the Nieuwe Veenmolen, which was built in 1654. For many years, the three mills ensured the drainage of the two adjacent Veenpolder and Binckhorstpolder.
The map above is from 1647 (source: National Archives).
A = location of the old Binckhorst Mill
B = location of the Binnenmolen from 1621, which was later named “De Vlieger”.
C = location of the Nieuwe Veenmolen built in 1652
In 1872, a steam pumping station was built in the Binckhorstpolder to drain the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. To bring the excess water from the Veenpolder to this pumping station, a new waterway was dug to the station, the Machinesloot. The pumping station was connected to the Broeksloot by a forebay over 200 meters long. Together with the Nieuwe Veenmolen and the De Vlieger mill, the pumping station ensured the drainage of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. In 1942, the drive of the pumping station was electrified and a centrifugal pump with a capacity of 74,000 liters of water per minute was installed. As a result, the two polder windmills essentially lost their original function, although they still operated regularly.
Due to urbanization, the mills’ pumping function had become obsolete, as water in the area was discharged via the sewage system. A few years after the war, the two mills were sold by the Delfland Water Board. The Nieuwe Veenmolen became the property of a Foundation on January 14, 1953, and the De Vlieger mill became the property of the Municipality of Voorburg on December 12, 1952. Plans were implemented for the construction of a new residential area in the immediate vicinity of De Vlieger, but insufficient consideration was given to the wind catchment area around the mill. The mill was so built in that proposals were made to simply demolish it. In 1959, the mill was saved from destruction thanks to an initiative by the founders of the Stichting Mooi Voorburg.
In the 1980s, the municipality decided to give the area around the mill a new purpose. It was then that the plan emerged to relocate De Vlieger. During the reconstruction of the Essesteijn polder in 1989, the opportunity arose to move the mill to that area. The spectacular relocation in October 1989, during which the mill body had to be lifted over the railway line, received much attention in the press and on television. Now, the De Vlieger mill has been standing in its new location for 35 years, keeping the memory of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder alive.
A = the location of the De Vlieger mill from 1621 to 1989
B = the current location of the De Vlieger mill in the Essesteijn polder since 1989
In 1446, the Veenmolen was built on the Haagsche Vliet to drain the vast area on the border of the Voorburg and The Hague districts. This polder area was bordered by the Haagsche Vaart, the land division between Rijnland and Delfland, the Broeksloot, and the Scheijwetering. In 1461, a second mill was needed because one mill was not sufficient for the entire polder area. The area was therefore divided into two polders: the Veenpolder, which was drained by the Veenmolen, and the Binckhorstpolder. The latter polder was drained by the Binckhorstmolen, built in 1461, which stood near Binckhorst Castle on the Haagsche Vaart, the present-day Trekvliet.
In the early seventeenth century, it became apparent that the Binckhorst Mill was functioning inadequately because it was not positioned correctly to keep the farmlands at the rear of the polder dry as well. In 1620, the polder board decided to replace the Binckhorst Mill and build a new mill along the Broeksloot in the middle of the polder. This mill stood some distance into the meadows and was connected to the Broeksloot by an approximately one hundred-meter-long mill ditch or forebay. The mill was built in 1621 and was named the Binckhorst Mill. It was originally an internal-drive mill but was later converted into an upper-drive mill. In the eighteenth century, the name of the mill was changed to De Vlieger, also known as Vliegermolen, named after miller Arij de Vlieger.
It also became clear that a second mill was needed in the Veenpolder: the Nieuwe Veenmolen, which was built in 1654. For many years, the three windmills were responsible for draining the two adjacent Veen- and Binckhorstpolders.
In 1872, a steam pumping station was built in the Binckhorstpolder to drain the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. To transport the excess water from the Veenpolder to this pumping station, a new waterway was dug to the station, the Machinesloot. The pumping station was connected to the Broeksloot via a forebay over 200 meters long. Together with the Nieuwe Veenmolen and the De Vlieger windmill, the pumping station ensured the drainage of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. In 1942, the pumping station’s drive was electrified, and a centrifugal pump with a capacity of 74,000 liters of water per minute was installed. As a result, the two polder windmills essentially lost their original function, although they continued to operate regularly. Due to urbanization, the mills’ pumping function had become obsolete, as water in the area was discharged via the sewage system. A few years after the war, the two mills were sold by the Delfland Water Board. The Nieuwe Veenmolen became the property of a Foundation on January 14, 1953, and the De Vlieger mill became the property of the Municipality of Voorburg on December 12, 1952. Plans were implemented for the construction of a new residential area in the immediate vicinity of De Vlieger, but insufficient consideration was given to the mill’s wind catchment area. The mill was so built in that proposals were made to simply demolish it. In 1959, the mill was saved from destruction thanks to an initiative by the founders of the Stichting Mooi Voorburg.
In the 1980s, the municipality decided to give the area around the mill a new purpose. It was then that the plan emerged to relocate De Vlieger. During the reconstruction of the Essesteijn polder in 1989, the opportunity arose to move the mill to that area. The spectacular relocation in October 1989, during which the mill body had to be lifted over the railway line, received much attention in the press and on television. Now, De Vlieger mill has stood in its new location for more than 25 years, keeping the memory of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder alive. In 1446, the Veenmolen was built on the Haagsche Vliet to drain the vast area on the border of the Voorburg and The Hague districts. This polder area was bordered by the Haagsche Vaart, the land division between Rijnland and Delfland, the Broeksloot, and the Scheijwetering. In 1461, a second mill was needed because one mill was not sufficient for the entire polder area. The area was therefore divided into two polders, namely the Veenpolder, which was drained by the Veenmolen, and the Binckhorstpolder. The latter polder was drained by the Binckhorstmolen, built in 1461, which stood near Binckhorst Castle on the Haagsche Vaart, the present-day Trekvliet.
In the early seventeenth century, it became apparent that the Binckhorstmolen was functioning inadequately because it was not situated in the right location to keep the farmlands at the rear of the polder dry as well. In 1620, the polder board decided to replace the Binckhorstmolen and build a new mill along the Broeksloot in the middle of the polder. This mill stood some distance into the meadows and was connected to the Broeksloot by an approximately one hundred-meter-long mill ditch or forebay. The mill was built in 1621 and was named the Binckhorstmolen. It was originally an internal-drive mill, but was later converted into an upper-drive mill. In the eighteenth century, the mill’s name was changed to De Vlieger, also known as Vliegermolen, named after miller Arij de Vlieger.
It also became clear that a second mill was needed in the Veenpolder: the Nieuwe Veenmolen, which was built in 1654. For many years, the three mills were responsible for draining the two adjacent Veen- and Binckhorstpolders.
In 1872, a steam pumping station was built in the Binckhorstpolder to drain the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. To bring the excess water from the Veenpolder to this pumping station, a new waterway was dug to the station, the Machinesloot. The pumping station was connected to the Broeksloot by a forebay over 200 meters long. Together with the Nieuwe Veenmolen and De Vlieger mill, the pumping station ensured the drainage of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder. In 1942, the pumping station’s drive was electrified and a centrifugal pump with a capacity of 74,000 liters of water per minute was installed. As a result, the two polder mills essentially lost their original function, although they continued to rotate regularly.
Due to urbanization, the mills’ drainage function had become obsolete, as water in the area was discharged via the sewage system. A few years after the war, the two windmills were sold by the Delfland Water Board. The Nieuwe Veenmolen became the property of a Foundation on January 14, 1953, and the De Vlieger windmill became the property of the Municipality of Voorburg on December 12, 1952. Plans were implemented for the construction of a new residential area in the immediate vicinity of De Vlieger, but insufficient consideration was given to the wind catchment area around the mill. The mill was so built in that proposals were made to simply demolish it. In 1959, the mill was saved from destruction thanks to an initiative by the founders of the Mooi Voorburg Foundation.
In the 1980s, the municipality decided to give the area around the mill a new purpose. It was then that the plan emerged to relocate De Vlieger. During the reconstruction of the Essesteijn polder in 1989, the opportunity arose to transfer the mill to that area. The spectacular relocation in October 1989, during which the mill body had to be lifted over the railway line, received much attention in the press and on television. Now, De Vlieger mill has stood in its new location for more than 25 years, keeping the memory of the Veen- and Binckhorstpolder alive.