The Westermolen is a traditional ’wipmolen’ style windmill. Wipmolens are the oldest and smallest kind of windmill, and they were used to drain water from areas of flat land to create artificial ’polders’ of reclaimed land for people to live on. The Westermolen was built in 1652, and is still in working order today, although it suffered severe damage during a storm in 1809, and was hit by a German fighter plane in 1940. Extensive restoration work was performed in 1984, and the mill is now operated by two volunteer millers. Tours of the mill are available by appointment.
