Dutch Windmill – Amati

Dutch Windmill (AM1710/01) Scale: 1:30 Height: 71cm

There’s very little that’s more iconic than a Dutch Windmill. In Europe, early windmills were developed in the Middle Ages and were usually fixed directly on the walls of the cities. Later, swiveling heads were developed so they could be kept constantly turned into the wind.

Historically, windmills in Holland served many purposes. The most important probably was pumping water out of the lowlands and back into the rivers beyond the dikes so that the land could be farmed. In the fourteenth century, hollow-post mills were used to drive scoop wheels to drain the wetlands. The Molen de Roos in Delft began its life as a hollow-post type and was later rebuilt with a higher stone construction in the eighteenth century. Today it has been restored and is open for viewing. In Amsterdam, you can see the Molen de Otter, the only wind-powered sawmill left in operation.

There are over 1000 windmills in Holland today. Some are still being used for drainage, such as one or two of the nineteen in Kinderdijk. The Molen de Otter, still in operation in Amsterdam, is also used for drainage. The Molen de Valk in Leiden has been restored and now grinds grain once again. It is also a museum, a witness to the history of windmills in the area. The few mills that still turn are on the verge of losing power: with buildings around them getting higher, they can no longer catch the wind as they used to do.

Amati’s kit includes laser cut wooden structure, brass photoetched parts, straw covering, printed bricks, instructions and diagrams. Please note that this kit is not for a beginner modeller.

Total height 71cm (28″) / Scale 1:30

Interested in the history of the windmill? Click here

Looking for other architectural kits? Check these out

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