The Kinderdijk mills are one of the most famous sights in the Netherlands. They are a group of 19 wind pumps that are used to pump the water from the polders to make the land suitable for agriculture. The mills pump the water into the Nieuwen Waterschap, which flows into the river Lek. They were built in the 18th century after the older canal systems proved ineffective.
The waterways, which also separate the polders, also divide the mills into several groups:
To the west of the Nieuwen Waterschap, on the Nederwaard polder, there are eight round red brick mills, all built in 1738.
On the Overwaard polder to the east there are eight octagonal wooden mills right on the waterway and three similar mills a little further inside the polder. Except for one of the mills in the “polder interior” (1761), all were built in 1740.
On the Blokweer polder, southeast of Kinderdijk, there is a single wooden mill, the Blokweerse Molen. It is also known by the nickname “De Blokker”. The year the original mill was built is unknown. “De Blokker” has been the victim of fires several times, most recently in 1997. Since 2001, the mill has been rebuilt and restored. This mill is also the only one in the group where the paddle wheel is outside the mill and is therefore visible from the outside.
Nowadays, pumps (first diesel pumps, now electric pumps) have taken over the work of the mills. Nevertheless, the mills are still very popular. They are put back into operation on special occasions, such as the Landelijke Molendag (National Mill Day, see also Vereniging De Hollandsche Molen). One of the mills on the Nederwaard Polder can even be visited from the inside, but some others are privately owned and used as residential buildings.