What Can We Learn From Dutch Brickwork?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 13. 06. 2024
- Roaming Roger is back with another walk'n'talk đ· This time, it's Zeeland in the Netherlands.
Dutch Architecture in Zeeland: A Blend of Tradition and Innovation
Zeeland, the southwestern province of the Netherlands, boasts a distinctive architectural heritage shaped by its geography, history, and culture. Known for its picturesque landscapes and extensive coastline, Zeeland's architecture reflects the region's ongoing battle with the sea and its rich maritime history.
1. Traditional Dutch Farmhouses:
Zeeland is dotted with traditional Dutch farmhouses known as âboerderijen.â These structures are characterized by their large, thatched roofs and whitewashed exteriors, often surrounded by lush gardens. The design typically includes a central living area flanked by utility spaces for farming, reflecting the region's rural past.
2. Flood-Resilient Architecture:
Given Zeeland's vulnerability to flooding, the architecture has adapted to mitigate water damage. One of the most notable examples is the Delta Works, a series of dams, sluices, locks, dykes, and storm surge barriers designed to protect the area from the sea. Buildings in Zeeland often incorporate elevated foundations, robust materials, and innovative water management systems to withstand potential floods.
3. Historic Townhouses and Buildings:
Zeeland's towns, such as Middelburg and Zierikzee, feature beautifully preserved historic buildings. These include Gothic and Renaissance structures with ornate facades, stepped gables, and large windows. The Stadhuis (City Hall) in Middelburg, with its elaborate Gothic architecture and imposing tower, is a prime example of the region's historical richness.
4. Maritime Influences:
Zeeland's proximity to the sea has significantly influenced its architecture. Fishermen's houses in towns like Veere and Vlissingen are often small and sturdy, with compact layouts to protect against harsh maritime weather. These houses typically have simple, functional designs with gabled roofs and brightly painted shutters.
5. Modern Innovations:
Modern architecture in Zeeland balances tradition with contemporary innovation. Projects like the Zeeland Bridge (Zeelandbrug) showcase cutting-edge engineering while respecting the natural landscape. New residential developments often feature sustainable design principles, such as energy-efficient materials and integration with the surrounding environment.
6. Cultural and Religious Buildings:
Zeeland also hosts a variety of cultural and religious buildings, including churches and abbeys. The Abbey of Middelburg, originally a 12th-century monastery, is a prominent historical and architectural site now housing the Zeeuws Museum.
Further Reading: Abbey of Middelburg
Zeeland's architecture is a fascinating blend of historical styles and modern innovation, deeply influenced by its unique geographical context. From traditional farmhouses and resilient flood defences to historic townhouses and cutting-edge modern structures, Zeeland offers a rich tapestry of architectural wonders that reflect its enduring relationship with the sea.
For more insights into Zeeland's architecture and heritage:
Visit Zeeland:
ⶠwww.zeeland.com/en/visit
10 Things you did not know about Dutch Architecture:
ⶠwww.re-thinkingthefuture.com/...
Zeeland Cultural History:
ⶠwww.debloesemvanzeeland.nl/en...
Middelburg City Guide
ⶠwww.yourdutchguide.com/cities...
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#zeeland #netherlands #RoamingRoger
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The Dutch gave advice to Dubai, about making islands in the sea. They chose someone else to design their palaces on sand. Now those enigmas are slowly slipping away.
Middelburg is the city of my youth. Still love it and visit a few times every year. It was heavily bombed in WW2, so most of the inner city was nothing more than a pile of rubble. Unlike other cities they decided to rebuild the city exactly like it was before the war. This resulted in a city that looked old, but was actually brand new. It also explains why so many houses have mixed brick colours.
The windmills on the bulwarks were never used to pump water. They were saw mills or grain mills.
Ah! I got it all wrong. Never mind the details were good even if they applied to other places. I have just been reading about the destruction of the city and the rebuilding. Thanks for giving me the steer. I want to go back there now and do the video from this new perspective.
@@SkillBuilder I really liked the video! Shouldâve said that to begin with :) And yes, please go back!
@@SkillBuilder Windmills had several functions,
- water pumping
- wood cutting
- weed grinding
- natural oil pressing.
You bring a smile âŠthe windmills youâve shown us were all for milling grain! Earlier than about 1850 all towns of some importance had walls. Lots of bricks!! They were taken down since, but on these walls there used to be windmills to produce flour, mainly. Where the walls and ramparts were taken down, parks were laid out, often called âPlantageâ. In Zwolle and Hattem parts of the walls remained, and in many Dutch towns they kept the gates.
Sails on windmills are set full or trimmed in a diagonal fashion, or left off entirely, according to the windâs force, btw.
The centre of Middelburg was in ruins in 1940 after retrackting French troops shelled it for reasons that have remained unclear. The postwar restauration was done on a small budget and lacks finesse or historical clarity. 17th century brickwork is from small sized bricks and the layers of mortar need to be accordingly thin. Older, medieval brickwork is from bricks significantly bigger than modern sizes, the really big ones called âkloostermoppenâ for which I donât have a good translation, but âkloosterâ means convent. A stout brick.
The restauration was done without a clear choice for the one or the other, and mortar certainly applied too thick.
Interestingly for some work bricklayers were instructed to âfreehandâ/not use string, to give the work some semblance of old age.
In the townhall the rafters arenât even of wood. The are made of concrete and painted to look like wood.
Thank you for your tour and kind words!
I can recommend the Dutch military architecture: the forts were entirely built of massive amounts of brick until about 1900. There is a famous ring of forts around Amsterdam and Utrecht, but also in Zeeland (fort Rammekens). A must see for a brick lover!
Middelburgâs city hall is actually an old building, from the 15th century. It burned out during WW2 but got restored.
The Dutch are the adults of Europe.
I have come to the same conclusion !
If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much.
Don't know if that's still true. A fairly large part of our population does not give the impression of adults in their way of thinking and behavior. Hope they will grow up asap.
âŠ.. no the Germans, but we have much more fun.
@@StephenvanWijk Good adult decision to fund putin.
Great video. Good to see you enjoyed our little country.
I love it, I have been to other regions as well but the cycling is great in Zeeland
You have 17 million people and punch far above your weight in trade economy etc you don't have to be so modest as to say "little country".
@@guynxtdork oh thatâs just me. The rest of them are far less modest ;)
She's the best
Roger, loved the video, retired carpenter here, did you ask about ârising dampâ it would seem theyâd be plagued with it
Next time when you see an old windmill, try knock on the door and ask for a tour đ
Most of them are operated by volunteers who are very proud and love to show you the mill đ
Ps; we have different kind of windmills;
- pump mills
- saw mills
- flower mills (where they crush grain and barley for example)
- etc
I will do, I did the same in England but it was working. There is something exciting and terrifying about being at the top of a working mill.
Iâve travel to the Netherlands a lot of work in recent years, love to culture and the way cars are not the alpha mode of transportation, the road and path layouts / level put bicycles and pedestrians first. Nice video đđŒ đ
Nice to see you visited my Home town Middelburg. The impurities in the mortar are bits of Sea Shells. In the 16/17 century that was the main source of Chalk. Sea Shells were burned over fire to make it suitable for mortar
Oh thanks Peter, I did know that oyster shells were used to make lime but I was really puzzled by those bits. I was thinking they were maonsry bees at first.
I enjoyed my visit al lot but reading up when I got back, I realised all the things I missed, like the old Town Hall being destroyed in the war. I suppost the date should have been a clue. Can you tell me what it says on the brick wall, near the bibliotek?
It translates to something like: Tuesday morning or afternoon variable with heavy gusts, thunder and rain. They kept it off and on, led it day by day towards the wall, but made little progress due to the variable weather. At 8 o'clock a steady breeze came, as we drew nearer.
While we were walking close to us, we noticed a small vessel with an old naked person in it, screaming loudly. I sailed to the sea in my sloop and, with much struggle, brought him on board the Arent, being a man well into his 50s, from the Bruynen, with a goatee after the Turkish manner, very strong in stature.
He was very surprised about the construction of our ship and all its accessories, as we understand from his my conde. Provided we don't understand the others in the slightest bit, we had to have his own opinions and ideas.
We gave him a small mirror, in which he looked at the sigh, at which he was very frightened, as well as at the sound of the clock. We gave him a glass of brandy, which he poured over his throne, and when he felt the force of it, his eyes began to wake up; gave a second glass of brandy with some wormwood, which apparently was of no use; there was a kind of shame in that,
because of his nakedness, because he saw that we were all naked. He therefore laid his arms and head on the table; seemed to be making an oration about this to his god, as was plain enough to see from his movement, and raised his head and hands many times to the sky, used many words with a raising voice, being thus occupied for half an hour, and when he ending with that, he started to jump and sing.
He appeared very cheerful and happy. They tied him with a piece of canvas for his shame, which pleased him wonderfully. He also had a naturally cheerful countenance. He danced with the sailors when we played the violin for him. He was not at all surprised at the sound and the construction of the instrument.
His shed was made of small pieces of wood and held together with some vegetation, being provided on the inside with two wooden pieces. It was so light that a man could easily carry it; It was wonderful for us to see that a man alone with such a small vessel should venture so far into the sea thirsty, having nothing to help him but a creator, for when he came to us we were about dry miles away. the wall.
In the afternoon we had reached the middle of the island SW. ten Zuyen two miles from us. The wind variable with rain; being therefore pleased to turn away from the shore, we had to abandon our party, as he had little interest in doing so. In order to get rid of him, he was taken into his ships, but he stayed with our ships for a long time until he noticed that we were sailing from land, whereupon he sighed and went to shore.
The water was quite hollow, so was my fear whether it would happen. Quiet afternoon with rain. A nice breeze towards the evening. Turn east at 8 o'clock; sighs stiff breeze.
Very interesting video Roger I enjoy when you walk around and just shoot the breeze showing us things. Always reckoned you'd make documentaries some time
Yes, it's easy to cycle there when the weather is good, but you try it in winter! Where it's so flat, the wind is unrelenting, you can be riding along at 1mph leant over at 20 degrees. There is a reason there are so many windmills ;-) You are right about the brickwork though, the old architecture is beautiful. I loved living in North Holland for the short time I was there and will always miss the place.
Thoroughly enjoyed that one Roger đ§±đ§±đ§±đ§±đ§±đđŒđđŒ
Hi guys, I was hoping you might watch it. I got it wrong with the bond but apparently it is Dutch cross bond not English.
Still a lot of impressive brickwork there
Lord Leamington would love that place.
I must say their taste regarding the shape
of the bricks are truly stylish, 10/10
Very enjoyable wander with Roger - reminiscent of Jack Hargreavesâs âout of townâ
Excellent standard of workmanship
I've only recently started to take an interest in brickwork but I believe that the "Amsterdamse School" of architecture, a kind of Art Deco in brick from the 1920's that did a lot of (privately funded) social housing, pushed brick laying to the limits with lots of brick ornamentation and even sculpture. It's also outside Amsterdam, and the appartement blocks in Amsterdam are outside the tourist infested areas and far away from the stag parties. Check "Het Schip", "De Dageraad" "Het scheepvaarthuis" and many more.
Speaking of Moore, the great Henry Moore was convinced to do a mural sculpture, a kind of bas relief, in brick in Rotterdam by the quality of Dutch bricklaying. It's is his only work in brick. In general in the first half of the Dutch 20th century also less adventurous architecture had a lot of extra brick laying just to make buildings prettier in a subtle way.
A week long âfield tripâ during my second year of Building Surveying degree course in Amsterdam included a day out with a building inspector in the city. Fascinating the methods they have had to develop to maintain the old buildings. Love the Dutch peoples, so friendly and welcoming.
Thanks for this one Roger, brought back some great memories đ
Thanks Tim, I would love to do one of these tours with somebody who has local knowledge, I tend to find out more when the video goes out.
The text engraved on the wall is a quote from a ship's log about the discovery of Easter Island and the first contact with the local population.
The part on the wall:
"Dinsdagh smorgens of snagts variabel met harde vlagen, donder en weerligt. Hielden ât af en aan, leyden ât met den dagh na den wal, maar avanceerde weynig door ât variabel weer. Ten 8 uuren quam een gestadige coelte, daar we wat mede naderde.
Wierden onderwylen dighte by ons een kleyn vaartuigh gewaar, daar een oud naakt mens in sat, die geweldigh schreeuwde. Ik voer met mijn sloep naar ât selve toe, bragt hem met veel tegenscrabbelinge aan boort van den Arent, zijnde een manspersoon van diep in de 50 jaren, uyt de bruynen, met een sikje na de turkse manier, heel sterk van gestalte.
Hij verwonderde hem zeer over ât maaksel van ons schip en alle zijn toebehooren, sooals wy uyt zijn mynen conde verstaan. Mits we den anderen niet in ât minste conde verstaan, soo moesten wy ât uyt zijn mynen en wysinge hebben.
Wy gaven hem een kleyn spiegeltjen, waarin hy sigh beschoude, waarover hy seer verschrikte, alsmede over het luyen van de klok. We gaven hem een glaasje brandewijn, ât geen hy over zijn tronie goot en wanneer hy de kragt daarvan voelde, begon hy zijn oogen wakker te vryven; gave een tweede glaasje brandewijn nevens een wormbeschytje, daar soo te seggen niets van nuttighde; daar was een soort van schaamte in,"
It's in old Dutch but I'll give translating it a go. It'll be filled with mistakes but you can get the gist of it:
"Tuesday morning or night with hard gusts, thunder and flashes. [...] little progress due to variable weather. Around 8 o'clock, it cooled down as we approached.
In the meantime a small boat approached us, driven by an old naked person who screamed loudly. I approached him with my sloop, took him aboard 'the Arend' (name of the ship) as he resisted very much. A male person, 50 y/o, uit of the browns, with a goaty in a Turkish manner, very strong frame/body.
He was amazed at our ship and the things aboard [... as we could understand it...]
We gave him a mirror in which he viewed himself, startled, also by the sounding of the clock. We gave him a glass of brandy, which he poured in [lit. over/on] his face and when he felt its strength, rubbed his eyes; gave him a second glass of brandy and a worm biscuit [(?) I imagine just an infested piece of hard tack], which he didn't eat; it seemed to be some kind of shame(fulness),"
In the logbook, it continues:
"wegens zijn naaktheyt, daar hy sagh, dat wy alle gekleet waren. Hij ging deswege met zijn (h)armen en hooft op de tafel leggen; scheen daarover een oratie aan zijn godtheyt te doen, gelijk klaar genoeg uyt sijn beweginge was te sien en verhefte (de) hooft en handen menighmaal na den hemel, gebruykte veel woorden met een verheffende stem, zijnde aldus wel een half uur besigh en wanneer hy daarmede eyndigde, begon hy te springen en te singen.
Vertoonde hem seer vrolijk en verblijt. Bonden hem een laptjen zeyldoek voor zijn schamelheyt, ât geen hem wonderwel behaagde. Hy was ook uyt de nature vrolijk van gelaat. Hy danste met de matroosen, toen wy voor hem op de viool lieten spelen. Hy verwonderde sigh niet weynigh over ât geluyt en het maaksel van het instrument.
Zijn schuytjen was van kleene stukjes hout gemaakt en met eenigh gewas aan malkanderen gehouden, zijnde van binnen met twee (h)outjes voorsien. ât Was soo ligt dat een man het gemakkelijk kon dragen; ât was voor ons wonderlijk te sien, dat een man alleen met soo een nietigh vaartuygh sigh soo ver in zee dorst begeven, hebbende niets ander tot zijn behulp dan een schepper, want, toen hy by ons kwam, waren wy circa dry mylen van de wal.
Hadden smiddags het midden van het eyland Z.W. ten Zuyen twee mylen van ons. De wind variabel met regen; zijnde daardoor genootsaakt om van de wal te wenden, moesten wy ons gezelschap afschepen, daar hy weynigh sin toe hadt. Dede hem, om van hem ontslagen te komen, in zijn vaartuygjen brengen, dogh hij bleef soo lange by onse schepen, tot dat hy merkte dat wy van land voeren, waarop hy sigh na de wal toe begaf.
ât Water vrij(al) hol, soo was mijn vrese of hij wel overkomen zou. Naarmiddags stilletjens met regen. Tegen den avont een moy coeltjen. Wenden ten 8 uuren oostwaarts; snagts stijve coelte."
Thank you so much for that. It took a while I am sure but you have added to my knowledge and others watching this video. I imagine it will be a while before that writing fades.
@@SkillBuilder 'The explorer was Jacob Roggeveen from Middelburg.
Text comes from the journal of Cornelis Bouwman, captain of one of the three ships taking part in this expedition. Text is engraved in the wall of the archive where the original is preserved, dated 5th April 1722.
We do have dutch gables in uk on many old buildings, we also have barn ends, and eyebrow windows in thatched roofs and some tiled ones too .
The UK can learn a lot of lessons from the Netherlands. Fantastic roads, buildings and very clean. They really care about the way their streets look. Unlike in the shabby Uk where we just chuck a load of ugly tarmac down that ends up being potholed and call it a road or a pavement. The UK has many beautiful buildings but they are spoilt by the ugly road and pavements.
We had a holiday there a couple of months ago - what a perfect place - like a toy town, so immaculate!
Did you go to Verre?
@@SkillBuilder No, we stayed near Heusden
Pleasure to watch you enjoy the town.
That town hall is absolutely stunning!
It was rebuilt after the old one was flattened during WW2. I am not sure who flattened it but it might have been the British.
Great video Roger. Appreciated. Cheers.
Beautiful sights and architecture. Thanks so much for sharing! :)
Really enjoyed this!
Thanks, I enjoyed doing it.
Haven't been there for 40 years, a bit tidier.
Always doing things on the weekend, fun.
I rode my bike round the Netherlands a few years back. It's such a nice place, they make such good use of all the land too.
They are having a lot of trouble with the E.U trying to shut down their farms.
@@SkillBuilder That is a bit one sided. If you have a tiny piece of land, and you want to live on it with 17 million people in great wealth, and you want to be the second largest agricultural power in the world (by value, including re-exports), then you see it is physically impossible to do without breaking either physics or the future of the land. It is not the EU that is to blame. It is the lack of making difficult decisions in The Hague that causes the problems. Admittedly, the people don't want the choices made too. This is the conflict. It is a question of perspective if you say the conflict is with the EU or with the Dutch among themselves, or the Dutch against physics/biology. My take on it, we need to slowly decrease our number of inhabitants (also in view of subsidence of land, rising sea levels, etc.)
That was a nice calming watch this Saturday morning whilst supping my cup of tea, thank you!
Enjoy the rest of your stay.
Trooping of the colour next on the tele
nice one Roger, really enjoyed this .
Nice one Roger!! I was in the RAF many years ago now and was stationed at one time at a place called Bruggen on the Dutch border near a village called Roermond and Elmpt loved it there, as you say clean and tidy.
BrĂŒggen, with an umlaut. Roermond got city rights in 1232 btw, 50000+ inhabitants so generally not considered a village.
@@marcovtjev didn't know how to do the umlaut and it was a long time ago when I was there
@@livingladolcevita7318 Remark was just for fun, happen to come from Roernond
Not sure if it is still there but used to go to a bar called El Pinnar I think
These videos are brilliant đđđđ
More please.
Always interested in this kind of content Roger. Lovely video.
"Dutch people...are so bloody civilized..." Very nice of you. I like to think it is about looking for constructive solutions, ways to make the situation work and cooperate.
The slats together with the blades where they're attached to can make the windmill turn, even without the sail! Sail is only used when there's not enough wind.
A lot of windmills were used for water, but a lot of them are also just for milling or cutting large timber. I live accross one which is a grain-mill. They service and let it spin every week, so I doesn't decay. I'm still amazed at how silent the windmills are. Those wooden gears almost don't make a sound!
A very enjoyable video. You remarked about how long some of these buildings had stood and wondered about how long our modern constructions will last. Hopefully, not long! Grim, stark, cold, and cheap for the most part and better pulled down after 50 years.
As an old brickmaker that looks fabulous.
What a great tour, thanks Roger đMy dad was a brickie all his life, wish I had taken him there before he passed away a few weeks ago.
Thanks Chris.
I know that feeling well, the things we could and should have done, the things we should have said.
As a parent I don't expect any grand gestures or declarations from my kids but there is satisfaction is seeing them move forward and make a life. I am sure your Dad had that. The worst thing for me is when something catches my attention or I speak to someone who knew them and I think ' I must tell Dad that'.
Hi Roger, I was glad you highlighted the cultural differences in cleanliness, friendliness, cycle paths vs psychopaths in the UK, and Dutch efficiency. I just came back from the Netherlands having visited my old hometown. Worth visiting the 'Achterhoek' next time, to continue your Dutch series on Skill Builder. Oh, yes, if you know of anyone that can help us finish of our side extension (builders vanished) in West London, please let me know.
Very interesting, hope you had a great time
What a nice video, thanks for this I love Netherlands
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed this. Thanks
Thank you for telling me. We weren't sure if this sort of video would be well received by our audience but if it gets views and thumbs up we are keen to do more.
I second that!
@@SkillBuilder Take me along with you next time you visit another lovely wee place! đ
Great video Roger, Makes me want to visit.
Apparently Amsterdam is concerened about too many visitors but the surrounding cities are still welcoming tourists and a bike is a great way to see them
Our northern neighbours really do have a great sense of landscaping & architectural flair.
Northern ? Surely our Eastern neighbours....
@@1414141x Not if you're from Belgium!
Stichting Hendrick de Keyser has a couple of volumes written about the architecture of houses in the Netherlands. Highly recommended.
I didnât know about brick rubbers . All good stuff as ever thank you
Bricks can handle the salty wind better than wood. But it is heavier so you need poles in the ground to prevent sinking in the soft ground.
Windmills were and in some cases still are used for many things other than pumping water like mills for producing flower, sawing timber etc.
Like this idea of going to see other countries and exploring building practices! Ps. Youd be surprised that the NL is a predominantly catholic country.
Translation on wall writing (AI):
On Tuesday Morning or Night, variable weather with strong gusts, thunder, and lightning. We made little progress throughout the day due to the changing weather. At 8 o'clock, a steady breeze allowed us to approach a bit closer.
We noticed a small vessel near us with an old naked man in it, who was shouting loudly. I took my boat to it, and after much resistance, brought him aboard the *Arent*. He was a man of about 50 years, with dark skin and a small beard in the Turkish style, very strong in build.
He was very astonished by the construction of our ship and all its accessories, as we could understand from his gestures. Since we could not understand his language at all, we had to interpret his gestures and signs.
We gave him a small mirror in which he looked at himself and became very frightened, also by the ringing of the bell. We gave him a small glass of brandy, which he poured over his face, and when he felt its strength, he began to rub his eyes vigorously. We gave him a second glass of brandy along with a small piece of shipâs biscuit, which he ate. He seemed somewhat ashamed due to his nakedness, seeing that we were all clothed. He laid his arms and head on the table, seemingly in prayer to his deity, as was clear from his movements. He raised his head and hands many times towards the sky, speaking many words in a loud voice, thus engaged for a good half hour. When he finished, he began to jump and sing.
He appeared very cheerful and happy. We gave him a piece of sailcloth to cover his modesty, which pleased him greatly. He was naturally cheerful in appearance. He danced with the sailors when we played the violin for him. He was quite amazed by the sound and construction of the instrument.
It was astonishing for us to see a man dare to venture so far out to sea alone with such a frail vessel.
His boat was made of small pieces of wood held together by some kind of plant, with two pieces of wood inside for support. It was so light that one person could easily carry it. It was astonishing to see a man venture so far into the sea with such a meager craft, having nothing else to assist him but a scoop, for when he reached us, we were about three miles from shore.
We saw the middle of the island southwest by south two miles from us at noon. The wind was variable with rain, forcing us to turn away from the shore. We had to send him back to his boat, to which he was reluctant. We put him back in his vessel, but he stayed by our ships until he noticed we were sailing away from the land, whereupon he made his way back to shore.
The water was quite rough, and I feared whether he would make it back safely. In the afternoon, it was calm with rain. Towards evening, there was a nice breeze. We turned eastward at 8 o'clock; at night, a strong breeze.
Thanks, somebody beat you to it but I think your version is from an official translation.
@@SkillBuilder I used the paid AI version for the translation. I really enjoyed this video lots. Thanks for making it!
If you want some really old brickwork you need to go to Dordrecht, the parliament used to be seethed there before it went to Den Haag.
Thanks I will put it on my list
Wind mills have to be used regularly to be kept in good condition even if they have lost their original use like pumping water out. A lot of grain milling windmills are still used to mill grain
In my town they have renovated a 350 year old windmill and still operates to mill grain.
It used to be the case that the subsidies that were given to renovate and maintain the 'redundant' mills were dependant on them actually running.
I remember the Dutch story about the boy who stuck his finger in a dike, to stop his homeland from flooding. He stayed there all night, until he was discovered by locals in the morning.
An interesting video Roger, thank you!
Yes we were told that at school as an example of self-sacrifice. Now putting your finger in the dyke will produce sniggers
Yet, most Dutch don't know that story...
You can see the statue for that boy "Hansje Brinkers" at the dike of the tiny beautiful village of Spaarndam. Sadly the story did not happen for real. It is a myth.
I believe that's an American story set in the Netherlands.
do take more holidays & thanks for the tour !
more !
Will do!
the windmils are maintained because there are used as backup for pumping the water and the rest are maintained as an museum
The thing with the old windmills is... They're monuments so you want to preserve them. So why not preserve them in working order? And if they're in working order, why not just use them for the purpose they were built for? So nowadays, many of the old wind pumps are actually still used from time to time. And talking about brickwork... I've found that in the Netherlands, generally the inner walls are built first and are loadbearing, then the brick façade is added on the outside. In France, it's the other way around. The outer walls are built first and are loadbearing, then the inner walls are added.
You mention the mills being used for pumping, but then you show this mill in Middelburg, which is actually a grain mill. We have loads of grain mills all around the country. We have sawmills as well, and other early industrial applications that needed physical movement.
Thanks, if you look through the comments you will see that many people have told me I was wrong about that mill.
Looking sharp Rog
Btw the sails are only there when there is not much wind. When there is a lot of wind they tie them to the beams, since all the mechanics in the mill was greased timber. Too much wind and it the friction would cause fire, and that (een dolle molen, a runaway windmill) was the fear of every miller. The miller had to be kind of a weatherman to anticipate when to increase or decrease sail.
That is good to know. I did visit a wind pump in Norfolk but the very friendly guy was a little light on hard information. I am not sure he has ever seen it work.
@@SkillBuilder Btw, if you like old bricks, you really need to visit Brugge in Belgium.... Or better, both Brugge and Gdansk in Poland (which is the same as Brugge but with a bit more large city vibe). Might give you an idea how the Kontor/Steelyard of London looked like at some point.
My sort of travelling. Itâs a stunning country.
Not all wind mills in the Netherlands are wind pumps!
The wind was utilized for much more then only pumping out the water!
They were/are also used to mill all kinds of grains, saw wood and much more.
I miss my ancestral home the Netherlands and itâs infrastructure, the old windmills milling grains, sawing tree trunks into planks, draining the land from it water each polder mill would bring the water 1 meter higher up , they still do actually. Milling oil paints. My ancestors owned a few different mills. The modern ones are there only to generate electricity.
Now living in Kent on the coast and the infrastructure is a nightmare potholes everywhere the streets are asfalt with millions of repairs. It could be looking so much better, it feels depressing just looking at the state of it. I cycle my kids to school everyday which is something people are not used to seeing. All the houses in the video are atleast 100 years old and many much older.
Absolutely awesome footage Roger!! Have you got a new camera?!!
yes, I bought an Osmo pocket 3 and it does the whole job. I did make the mistake of choosing the vanity mode which cuts down the wrinkles but it see hair as wrinkles and thins that out quite a lot. On the next video I have it on the ugly setting so business as usual.
I really enjoyed that tour roger really interesting speaking as a retired bricklayer
Thank John I am glad it hit the spot. One sad fact is that we no longer seem to use bricks for structural work, they are used for cladding and facades but when you look at Battersea Power Station those bricks were doing the work. Now they just use steel.
@@SkillBuilder of course the bean counters still have work to do after ruining the country we probably donât know the half cheers now
Lovely video that large brick arch and window is stunning . Also keen to hear about how they approach the dreaded dare i mention it here , RD .
It is strange how so many people are being turned onto history through video games.
I never got past Super Mario the plumber, to be honest I didn't even understand that.
great Video, I'm a builder living in the Netherlands for over 25 years now. The Dutch have a separate mortar for pointing, 'voegspacie' they call it, back in the UK as I remember the pointing was just done with the same mortar you laid the bricks with.
another difference is the carpenters have to erect brickwork profiles for the brickys to hang their lines on.
and electrics, big difference, new colours are the same but the old colours, the green cable is live!!, first time I came across that I put it down to dodgy wiring, second time I noticed a pattern. old colours are green=live red=nuetral grey=earth
Dutch houses had only earth wires to the sockets in the kitchen and only live and neutral in the rest of the house, however, there was always an earth-leakage breaker, even 70 years ago, new builds have earth over the whole house.
and there is no lights main or ring main, the various groups out of the fuse box do sockets and lights, it's not unusual to see a socket and switch in one here, something you don't see in the UK.
That is great information and it answers a question on our Belgian video where the joints were raked back and quite rough. It would have been good to meet you and get this information on the video. How is life there? It looks good.
@@SkillBuilder well, I'm a long way from Zealand, I'm in Nijmegen close to the German border, but life is great here, and the people are indeed very friendly.
the brickwork wooden profiles mean that if the brickwork is out of level the brickies can just blame the carpenters!
Hi Roger, about fifteen years ago I decided the time had come to re-point the front of our victorian terrace in Cambridge. To start with I used my angle grinder with a Tungsten bit to rake out the joints to a depth slightly greater than the width of the joint so that the new mortar could not ever come loose and just roll out!. This meant that the new mortar was deep enough to not dry out before it cured, also I chose to flood the wall with water so that all the brickwork was quite wet. The un-intended consequence of this was that the slight smears of fresh lime mortar stained the surface of the bricks and would not brush off, I thought at the time that this would soon fall away but here we are fifteen years on and none of it has come off!, what a sad mess it is!.
I later experimented with differing techniques on other job sand the last big one that I did everything just the same but for the final cleaning which I did again with the hose-pipe, about half an hour after pointing, with the joint piped over as it started to set and lots of clean water and a soft sponge!, this removed all of the smears without disturbing any of the mortar in the joints and left a perfect clean finish!, all that I had been told years ago about never going near fresh mortar with anything wet was complete rubbish!.
The old ways are not always the best!.
Cheers, Richard.
I tend to soak the wall the day before. Mostly I want to wash out the loose but it provides enough moisture to stop the pointing cracking.
Having been bitten once I am not sure I would have dared do what you did on the last one but, good on you it was an education.
Hi Richard, I've done the same in the past and had much success with removing the lime stains with white vinegar and a stiff toothbrush. Might be worth a try? Hope this helps!
If you ever visit âs-Hertogenbosch, you wil be able not only to see old brickwork above ground, but also underneath the city. A vast part of the city was built over the rivers and canals floating inside the city. Nowadays you can visit and see the arched brickworks by boat tours czcams.com/video/A5AhiBk7U-c/video.htmlsi=CnYJv_cdSeExf3SY
I think i seen one mill that was built for water control, the other are to grind grain ( as a majority are) in Zeeland the water control mills are very rare, as in this part of the Netherlands historically the tide is used to lower the inland water levels, at low tide simply open the lock in the dike, and the inland water flows out.
Proud to be Dutch đłđ±
Great video, like going back to being a kid on holiday with my builder dadđđđ
Yes I try not to inflict my interests on my family. I usually just sneak off and do a bit of mootching about, a bit like Michael Mosely.
Any one noticed all the different sizes of bricks as well? These buildings are so full of character because all of the differences in size, colour and structure of the bricks.
The renovation you showed doesn't show the typical Dutch new build. Poroton blocks are more the exception in the Netherlands, as are wooden floors.
All the old houses you showed have wooden floors, but in the typical modern house from 1950 onwards they are beam and block or concrete slabs, often prefabricated to the correct size and simply lifted onto the foundation or walls.
Inner walls nowadays are either prefabricated concrete segments or glued aerated concrete, gypsum blocks or sand/lime blocks. With more stringent energy performance regulations we see other materials coming, like hollow polystyrene blocks which are filled with rebar and concrete, or prefab wood elements filled with insulation which get a brick outer facade constructed around them. Probably partial wood construction for the inner core of the house will gain more popularity because it is easy to prefabricate in a factory and is more eco friendly, the outer brick facade will remain as the climate is not friendly for a wood outer shell and regular maintenance is needed. The bricks can be in the form of slips glued onto the insulation however.
I don't know if you are going to do another video about current building practice in the Netherlands?
Hi Tom
Thanks for the update, I did try and get on a new build site but there is a lot of paranoia about letting film crews onto building sites.
We would love to do more and might be returning to visit the Intergas factory in the near future. We have a long list of suggestions for places to film but, by all means, add to the list, it all helps.
3:21 That is not flemish bond (vlaams verband) but what we call cross bond (kruis verband). What you see at 3:35 is flemish bond there is a small difference between these 2!
Yes thanks, lots of people have made similar comments. It was my mistake
Not a builder or anything, but this was bloody interesting!
I stay in Goeree-Overflakkee for a few weeks, a beautiful place. Beautiful buildings, countryside and people. Wonderful homogeneous culture with everyone respecting each other. No litter, vandalism, fly tipping or chav culture. Kind of eerie in a way, everyone is well dressed and on Sundays you can hear musical church bells and hymn music all around.
"Civilised" is definitely the right word to describe the Netherlands! I don't know about "no war" - a nice thought - but the Netherlands had a very, very tough time during WW2 (look up the "Hunger Winter"). Much of the civilised nature of Dutch society is often put down to the fact that as much of the country is below sea level, generation after generation had to constantly work together to pump that water out - makes for a very civic minded, cooperative society (by and large...). And yes, the bricks are very nice!!
I am aware of the terrible starvation suffered by Neatherlanders. When I said 'No fighting' I was really talking about the fact that you can go for a night out without ending up in a punch up. England is a very dangerous place after 10p.m, so many nutters around. Back in my youth I spent quite a bit of time in Croydon because it had an inceredible live music scene. It is now the stab capital of Britain.
@@SkillBuilder Fair enough!
All the water made the country pretty egalitarian too. Through the collective water management, which have been kind of democratic bodies sinces the 11th century, also to the merchants getting richter and more powerful than the nobility very early on, but also because of the many land owning farmers. If you made it dry, it was yours. So the "you got your land from god together with your king and he tells you how to believe in god" didn't go down well in the Netherlands.
There are quite some wind pumps in the Netherlands and those are the most that stayed around and were not demolished or replaced by newer technology. At the same time, there are still lots of windmills that are built for milling grain, making paper, sawing wood.... The mill in the start of the vid is clearly a grain mill, it is not standing in a position that allows the mill to pump water. The mill at 11.19 seems to be a water pump though.
Nice one. Should visit the delta works to see the flood defenses built after the flood in the 50s.
Not a bad idea, there is a lot to see (sea)
@@SkillBuilder Cycle across the Oosterscheldekering, the most recognisable part of it. We dare you to pronounce it correctly. ;)
@@SkillBuilder The museum shows the Watersnoodramp 1953 where the dykes broke and almost 2000 people died and the massive construction of the delta works to protect the land afterwards. That and the construction of flevoland are really impressive projects. They have a saying that I like, God made the world, but the Dutch build the Netherlands.
I'm not an expert like you but I appreciate those brick buildings and different technics as much as you do. You should visit the neighborhoods in Amsterdam that were build in the 20's and 30's "Amsterdamse School". The brick work of these designs were so outstanding and beautiful.
I have been to Amsterdam many times. They are trying to discourage tourists because it is spoiling the city.
This is a great video. Just reminds me that I have to get my passport.
Nice country too
Nice video. To day windmills mostly are run for fun. The first windmill probably produces flour. The second one can be a water pumping windmill.
Thanks for the info!
glad i'm not the only one who points cameras at randomly nice bricks.
we need to build some more traditional windmills, utterly beautiful machines.
Yes we do
There's a few traditional old "Windpumps" around the Norfolk Broads.
@@gonefishing5142 have heard many a tale of those broads.
Downing Street foundations had timber supports which decayed
The rot set in a long time ago in Downing Street.
@@SkillBuilderI was just going to say that the rot started from the top đđ
Lots of expats in Amsterdam are complaining about water in the basement, but if the water levels are set too low air will get to the timber poles and they will start rotting.
There is another word used for windpumps that is similar to mill.... in Afrikaans the daughter child of Dutch people who fled here , meul, plural meulens. a wind pomp here is usually associated with a small pond or dam wich would be fed from a pump using the windpomp. We still have a dutch mill just outside Cape Town, recently damaged in a fire, so under reconstruction.. When I look at the Netherlands it gives me weird people. some of the buildings I see existed there when my ancestors left there in the 1600s.
3:46 is actualy English bond, course of headers followed by a course or stretchers. Flemish bond consists of a course of alternating headers and stretchers.
You are right, it was my senior moment. I did a bit more research and found it is actually Dutch cross bond because the brick lneght is three times the width.
Great representation of my beautiful country! If you go to the east of the country (near Arnhem) let me know, I'd be honored to buy you a cup of coffee and show you the work I've done on my house!
Great video, have you been to Rotterdam, it was flattened in WWI and the centre is basically huge modern high rise buildings now, quite a contrast to Amsterdam
Yes I have been to Rotterdam. I have also learned that the Germans flattened Middleburg and it was rebuilt, hence the variety of bricks in one building.
That mill in Middelburg where you talked about these mills as wind pumps is actual a flour mill. It's from 1735.
Yes thanks, quite a lot of people have told me I was wrong. I could now do a video on what I have learned in the comments. It has been great reading them.
Roger travel channel, I'd watch it!
Needs to figure out his flags though.
I lived in Haarlem for 2 years at the start of the millennium. Classed as one of the most expensive places to live in the Netherlands. It is a beautiful place and not far from Amsterdam.
That is another place to look at, I have been to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, The Hauge and Delft but somehow missed Haarlem.
Well don't use the Eindhoven parking garage contractor and definitely not the Alkmaar Stadium roof contractor but yeah usually they are pretty good. Great camera work and photos.
Not all old windmills in The Netherlands were used to pump the water out to the ocean. The one showed in your video from Middelburg (the tall windmill) was used in the past to grind grain đ
Greetings from The Netherlands (Province South Holland)
Thank you for that, I am really just learning and it is easy to make assumptions about everything. I could have done with a local guide. Why was it running on that morning? I can't imagine there was grain to grind.
@@SkillBuilderold windmills run most of the time for the tourists and also to keep them âfitâ đ but may be also to produce âsustainableâ flour for consumers with a âgreen heartâ đ
Nice to see my old neighbourtown. Mind you, Middelburg was richer than Amsterdam back in the days
Where did the wealth come from?
@@SkillBuilder from the VOC trading
I did not check but the mill is most likely not a waterpump as middleburg is above sea level. Most mills are for production of flower or other products.
I looked at some massive electric pumps on the canal leading out to Verre. It seems they were there to move water from the canals around the town to the canal leading to the sea.
I could spend a long time learning about this stuff.
Not all mills are/were water pumps. We had grain mills and saw mills.
So when I was getting my carpentry and joinery papers, they phased out the bricklaying course... (1988)
Enjoy it while it lasts, because we don't lay bricks anymore.
We only install complete prefab walls nowadays.
P.S. I'm from The Netherlands, if you wonder.
That is tragic
Would it be possible to do a quick video on a concrete window sill fix ?
The day to day water management is handled by electric pumps and industrial control systems, but many of the old steam and wind driven pumps are kept in working condition as auxiliary capacity thinly disguised as museums. Heavy rainfall throughout the Rhine basin in December 2023 saw them put to weeks of 24/7 use.
That is interesting
I pointed our first house a full wall onto the ten foot.Took me forever every time off work a bit.Just sand and cement 50 years ago now.Not perfect still looking sound.This is in the UK.