European Post Mill

Timeline

1. 1101Flanders · FlandersIn the 12th century, post mills appeared in Flanders, England, and elsewhere, with the entire wooden structure rotating around a central post; sails drove the millstones through gear transmission, replacing some human- and animal-powered mills and suiting the windy plains and coasts.
2. 1201England · EnglandThe number of windmills in England grew rapidly in the 13th century, with post mills becoming standard for rural grain processing; lords and the Church often monopolized milling rights, deeply binding windmill technology to the socioeconomic structure.
3. 1211–1220Dutch Low Countries · Low CountriesBetween 1211 and 1220, the Dutch Low Countries began using post mills for drainage and milling, with sails driving chain pumps to remove water, providing a power base for subsequent polder reclamation and urban expansion; the technology spread along the Rhine–Scheldt estuary.
4. 1301–1401Rhineland · RhinelandIn the 14th–15th centuries, tower mills (with only the sail cap rotating) arose in the Rhineland and elsewhere, with sturdier structures and larger sail areas, gradually replacing post mills as the mainstream, though the post mill design long persisted in the English countryside.