About the mill

In 1866, the construction began of an octagonal wooden towermill along the Oldenzaalsestraat, built by Albertus Voorhuis from Geesteren. This mill burned down in 1872 and was replaced by a stone towermill, which still stands today. A miller’s house and a tavern room were also built.

Oude Hengel around 1930

In 1911, son Jan Voorhuis sold the mill to Herman Oude Hengel. It remained in the Oude Hengel family for four generations. Over time, a bakery, a sawmill, and later a grain silo were added to the buildings. Eventually, the mill, bakery, shop, and silo fell out of use.

Oude Hengel in 2007

In 2009, the sawmill was relocated to Gildehaus in Germany, after which the land and buildings were sold to project developer Lint Molenbeek.

Oude Hengel in 2011

The land was rezoned for residential use. All old buildings—except for the mill—were demolished, and development of housing began.

The Oude Hengel mill has been largely restored and is able to operate. However, further improvements are still needed.

In 2017, several measures were taken to make the mill safe for visitors. After prolonged discussions, the mill was transferred to the Overijssel Landscape Foundation in 2020.