Bruneforth Watermill

On the way over the Hümmling from Stavern to Klein Berßen, you pass the Bruneforth water mill in Nordradde. The recently restored mill is a popular excursion destination in the region and is often combined with a visit to various dolmens and the unusual Hüven mill.
In the year 946 there were already three watermills on the lower reaches of the Nordradde, in Vormeppen: The Cossenmühle; the manorial middle mill and third, the Übermühle.
The watermill Bruneforth in Groß Stavern is located at an old ford of the Nordradde. This crossing was known as the "Ford des Brun". This is also where the family name Brunefort came from. The farm had been an Osnabrück fief since 1364. The Swartewolt and Pyll families were liege bearers.
At the time, important traffic routes crossed at the Bruneforth mill, namely the army road from Münster to Sögel with the postal and trade road from Osnabrück to East Frisian. It is said that the King of Prussia crossed the Nordradde here in 1755 on the way to his East Frisian estate. Likewise, without this ford Bruneforth, the electoral hunting parties, merchants, horse dealers and soldiers would not have reached their destination.
In any case, the Nordradde was corrected at the end of the 18th century due to problems with flooding and as a result of complaints from the Staverners, which led to difficulties in operating the water mill due to a lack of flow.
So it happened that the owner at the time, Anna Brunefort, had a replacement Erdholländer built by Augustin Dierkes from Groß-Stavern in 1860, who later also leased the new mill. Remarkable: The water mill, which was once a bone and fulling mill, remained in operation as a sawmill until 1971.
In 1974 the Bruneforth water mill burned down, but thanks to the commitment of the Aschendorf-Hümmling local history association and the community it was able to be rebuilt lovingly and true to the original. However, the Erdholländer mill, which also burned down, was not given this attention.
So we are now able to linger at this charming gem on foot or on foot at any time of the year and recently found a willow church by the way at the mill pond.
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You can find more helpful information about the Stavern mills on the website of the Aschendorf-Hümmling local history association:
heimatverein-aschendorf-huemmling.de/muehlen/die-wassermuehle-brunefort

I've done many bike rides, but I've never seen such a sensational place to take a break. There are separate toilets, a charging station, a very spacious lounge, an open-air church and, as a highlight, the mill with the rotating paddle wheel. Here you have to pause. Everything is functional and in good condition.

After the successful growth of the willow church in Börger (komoot.de/highlight/752086), this beautifully situated willow church was also built at the Bruneforth mill between Stavern and Klein Berßen.
It is a wonderful place for devotions, church services, baptisms or weddings. In any case, it is worth taking a look at the willow church if you are already at the "Bruneforth mill" (komoot.de/highlight/194166).