Koren- en Oliemolen ‘De Phenix’ – English

Koren- en Oliemolen ‘De Phenix’

History

The predecessor of De Phenix was the De Hoop mill, which burned down in 1880 as a result of a lightning strike. That same year, the owner, Jan Pieters Boelens, had a new mill built by the mill builder Van der Meer brothers from Harlingen. This mill was given the name ‘Phenix’ (resurrected from the ashes).

The mill was built in 1880 on an elevated site on the north side of Nes. The mill is located on historic land, it has been 400 years since a patent was applied for to build a mill on this site. This octagonal top mill is the only ground sailor in Friesland and is also the northernmost mill in the Netherlands. The mill has been open to the public again since 1984.

Conversion into the Phenix flour and oil mill

It soon became apparent that the mill was actually too small to be in operation and open to the public at the same time. In 2018 and 2019, the Phenix mill in Nes was thoroughly overhauled by ‘De Molenmakers’ from construction company Hiemstra from Tzummarrum. The mill was thoroughly restored and then thatcher Kleinjan from Den Ham provided the hull and hood with a new thatched roof.

Underground visitors center

The second phase of the mill’s revitalization was the construction of an underground visitors center on the east side of the mill under the Mullesduun. The Molenmakers installed an oil mill in this underground part. Oil has been minted in Koren- en Oliemolen de Phenix since the beginning of 2022.