Mostert’s Mill will be opened for us to visit the oldest working windmill in the Southern Hemisphere. From the Mill we will be going to Welgelegen, where we will be shown around this historical house that was reconstructed by Herbert Baker. We will also see the formal gardens of Welgelegen that were recreated by Gwen Fagan. Bring your picnics, and your family and friends to make this a fun outing!

DATE AND TIME:   Saturday 23 April 2016- 09:45 for 10h00
Location: Cape Town
Getting there Just off the M3 at the top of Rhodes Avenue Mowbray

VASSA Members Only - info@vassa.org.za

Mostert’s Mill
According to James Walton, this mill “is a typical Cape truncated-cone tower-mill with a thatched cap but it uses an improved system of winding the cap. The bottom of the tail-pole is fitted with a winch consisting of a horizontal axle turned by a wheel with projecting spokes. Around the platform surrounding the mill is a circle of short upright posts. One end of a chain is hitched to a post and the other end is secured to the barrel of the winch and the mill-cap is pulled around. Once set in the desired position, the cap is anchored by chains from the tail-pole to two upright posts. When the mill is at rest one of the sails is also secured with chains to a post” Walton, J. (1974) Windmills watermills and horsemills in South Africa.

The mill was built on Welgelegen which was granted to Cornelis Bothma in 1676. The mill is believed to have been built by Dirk Gysbert van Reenen in 1796 but is named after his son-in-law Sybrand Mostert. It was restored in 1935. The adjacent house, De Meule, is believed to be one of the earliest houses still surviving at the Cape and the mill was built adjacent to the exisitng house which could serve as the miller’s house.