De Koker (The sleeve)
Type:Grain mill and hulling mill
Since:1866
Owner:Vereniging De Zaansche Molen
Miller:Simon van der Meer
Location:Oosteinde 14, Wormer
Phonenumber:+31 75-6215148 (office De Zaansche Molen)
E-mail:[email protected]

HISTORY

Wormer can attribute much of its fame to one activity: the baking of ships’ biscuits. Flour was needed to bake these biscuits, and in order to have sufficient flour, wheat had to be ground in the mills. This process began as long ago as the 16th century with one mill, and when the volume of baking products began to grow exponentially, more and more mills started appearing that were focused on the grinding of wheat.

Of all the flour mills located in the village, only one is still with us today: De Koker or also called De Zwarte Hengst (The Black Stallion )on the Oosteinde. It is very much the question whether this mill is the original Koker or Zwarte Hengst, because very few mills have been subjected to the kind of treatment this mill had to endure. On various occasions, storm damage devastated its thathed roof, and on two occasions the mill caught fire (in 1840 and 25 years or so later). Despite all that, the mill is here to be enjoyed today, not only as a flour mill, but also as a peeling mill. It can truly be said to have double duties.

In 1928, the mill fell into disuse and was added to the De Zaansche Molen property in the deplorable state 20 years later. De Koker was of course restored.

What is special is that the mill was supplied with grain until the end of the 19th century by means of a boat that sailed into the mill.

More history: Click here