Great Watermill of Zichem

Watermill with metal undershot wheel on the Demer, 50 meters north of the church of Zichem, built in 1758. On March 2, 1994, the mill was protected as a monument and together with its surroundings as a village view. The building is now home to a home and doctor's practice, but the milling area is still preserved and separated with a glass wall. Unfortunately, the waterwheel has now been cut off from the Demer, so that turning has become impossible.

The mill became especially famous as a setting for the film adaptations of De Witte, the famous book by Ernest Claes.

For all the details:
molenechos.org/molen.php?AdvSearch=393

This is an undershot mill. The water flows under the wheel. This type of mill is used in watercourses with a small drop (difference in height between the beginning and end of the river) such as the Demer. The water is dammed up in front of the wheel. When the miller starts grinding, he raises the weir at the bottom a little. In this way, the water is pushed under the wheel with force and set in motion. The wheel in turn sets the mill's grinding mechanism in motion and the grain is ground.
(Information brochure walk Met de Witte through Zichem)