Lightning and reconstruction
On Saturday 11 November 1972, lightning struck De Zwaluw. Firefighters could not spray water high enough and the mill burned down completely. A foundation established in 1984 raised money; together with public subsidies granted because the mill is a listed monument, this made reconstruction possible. Volunteers have worked in the mill and sawmill every Saturday since then. In 2024 it received new sails, a renewed windmill sail assembly and a fully restored cap.
A guided tour from film to gallery
The tour starts in the storage shed with a film of about 14 minutes on the mill and sawmill's history and operation. You then walk through the timber store to the sawmill, where you can watch its three saw frames and where trees are usually sawn into planks. Finally, you enter the windmill and climb several floors to follow grain being milled into flour; the outdoor gallery offers a view. The grain mill is still fully operational, so flour dust may whiten your clothes, and there are many stairs. The tour takes about an hour.
Flour and timber
The mill sells flour to individual customers on Fridays and Saturdays. Planks and beams from the sawmill are also for sale.