Luxury B&B Under the Mill is literally situated under the Windmill that is one of the most characteristic features of the beautiful city of Edam. The small city with it’s characteristic Canal houses is also known as ‘little Amsterdam’ and is home of the famous ‘EDAM cheese’ known all over the world.
On a small ‘island’ of 2400 m2, nowadays in the middle of the city, the Dutch skill of reclaiming the land and managing the water levels in the Polders can still be seen: a gradual move from Wind energy, to a steam propelled Mill and finally half way the 20th century the use of a diesel engine. The Mill and its coal shed have now been replaced by a environmentally friendly electric installation on the outskirts of town, and gave way for using the historic buildings as a luxury B&B.
The windmill built in 1638 was used to pump water out of the Polder behind the dikes that protect the reclaimed land from the ‘Zuiderzee’. De ‘Zuiderzee’ that at that time still had an open connection to the North Sea.
In 1867 during the industrial revolution, the Windmill was replaced by a Steam Mill designed by famous architect W C & K de Witt. This Steam Mill logically outperformed the Windmill in terms of pumping capacity, which rendered the Windmill ‘useless’. The Windmill to-date is however beautifully preserved and is still operated when the weather allows it to turn its magnificent blades. This way preservationists try to ensure that this unique 250 year heritage, is never lost.
The Steam Mill operated on coal that was stored in the nearby Coal Barn. The Barn is a unique example of a Western European quay wall shed. Being built exactly in North-South direction on the qual wall makes it one of the few remaining examples of this architecture. The Barn has now been rebuild and converted into a luxury B&B with two Bedrooms and one bar area.
