European windmills

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1120Western European river mill belt · Western EuropeBy the 11th and early 12th centuries, Western Europe's water mill network covered the major river valleys, but coastal, upland, and winter low-water areas lacked reliable water power; peasants and craftsmen began exploring wind-driven millstone solutions.
2. 1127–1130England and northern France · FranceIn the 1120s, early post mills appeared in northwestern Europe, using turnable sails to catch wind and drive millstones; though not yet as widespread as later, they provided grain processing capacity to coastal and upland manors lacking river transport, complementing water mills.
3. c. 1180Europe and overseas transplants · WorldwideFrom the late 12th century to the late Middle Ages, the number of European windmills grew rapidly; the Netherlands and others developed drainage and industrial uses; spread worldwide through colonization and trade, they became one of the most important non-human and non-animal power sources of the pre-industrial era.