Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
The outstanding contribution made by the people of the Netherlands to the technology of handling water is admirably demonstrated by the installations in the Kinderdijk-Elshout area. Construction of hydraulic works for the drainage of land for agriculture and settlement began in the Middle Ages and have continued uninterruptedly to the present day. The site illustrates all the typical features associated with this technology – dykes, reservoirs, pumping stations, administrative buildings and a series of beautifully preserved windmills.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/818
The Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
is a construction set up for draining and protecting an area by the development and application of hydraulic technology.
Kinderdijk is a small town near Rotterdam, situated in an area called the Alblasserwaard. This part of the Netherlands lies below sea-level, and has a history of floods.
The 19 windmills of Kinderdijk were built around 1740. Their purpose was to pump the excess water into a reservoir until the level of the river had reached a level that pumping the water into the river (called the Lek) was possible again. Since 1927 a diesel pumping station does the real job. The windmills were used for the last time during the second World War, when the mechanical pumps could not be used any more due to fuel shortages.
During the summer months, the mills are put back in operation again to please the tourists. In one of the windmills a small museum is established with an exhibition about how miller-families lived. You can also walk or cycle along the canals and river to take a closer look at the mills and enjoy the landscape.
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/kinderdijk.html
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