The Secret Behind the Double Row of Windmills

Anyone cycling along the paths of Kinderdijk is treated to one of the world’s most iconic postcard views: two rows of windmills facing each other across the water. But look a little closer and you’ll notice the landscape is anything but symmetrical. On one side, the windmills stand in a perfectly straight line, while on the opposite bank they are noticeably staggered. Behind this picture perfect waterway lies a centuries old story of friendly rivalry, the clever sharing of the wind, and a strict divide.

“People often assume it has always been one unified organization, but originally these were two completely separate worlds, each with its own distinct character,” says Jan-Willem, Heritage Manager at Kinderdijk. As a miller, Jan-Willem knows the area inside and out. While most visitors admire the breathtaking scenery, he sees the historic boundary that has divided these waters since the fourteenth century. It marked the line between two independent water boards, each following its own approach in the ongoing battle against rising river waters.

Wind Thieves and Winding Dikes

The reason the windmills stand in two rows is purely practical: the landscape. Building these massive windmills on soft peat soil required a stable dike and a solid foundation supported by wooden piles nearly 62 feet (19 meters) long. The embankments surrounding the water reservoirs, known as boezems, were already in place and were raised specifically to support the construction of the windmills. But despite facing one another, the two rows are far from mirror images.

On the eastern side, the Overwaard, built in 1740, stands in a perfectly straight line with generous spacing between the windmills. Across the water, the Nederwaard, completed in 1738, features windmills that are much closer together and intentionally staggered. “That was a very strategic decision,” Jan-Willem explains. “The dike curves more on that side, and the windmills were deliberately staggered to prevent them from stealing each other’s wind.”

Even today, the two rows can still compete for the wind when conditions are just right and one row blocks the breeze from reaching the other. Jan-Willem hears about it regularly during his visits to the windmills. “When the windmills are turning and one on the opposite bank suddenly stops, the miller notices it immediately. Their own windmill suddenly catches a much stronger gust of wind.” In the past, protecting the wind was taken very seriously. Strict regulations prohibited planting trees or constructing buildings anywhere nearby if they could interfere with the precious airflow the windmills depended on.

The reason there are two rows of windmills is that two completely separate polders once met here. At the time, working together simply wasn’t an option, so each water board built its own embankment and its own row of eight windmills. Between the two waterways lay the Middelkade, and the question of who was responsible for maintaining it sparked disputes for centuries. There was always a healthy rivalry between the two water boards. The Overwaard had a more aristocratic character, governed by members of the nobility. They proudly reflected that status in buildings like the Waard House, with its elegant architectural details. The Nederwaard, by contrast, took a far more practical, no nonsense approach.

That rivalry resulted in engineering innovations that are still visible today. The practical minded Nederwaard built sturdy round brick windmills. Two years later, the aristocratic Overwaard chose octagonal windmills with thatched roofs instead. “Style wasn’t the deciding factor. Every decision was based on engineering,” Jan-Willem says with a smile. “Brick windmills are incredibly heavy. One theory is that the Overwaard saw the neighboring brick windmills beginning to settle into the soft peat soil after just two years. Rather than take the same risk, they opted for lighter wooden windmills instead.” The Overwaard still found a way to outshine its neighbors. On the beard, the decorative board beneath the sails, the noble families proudly displayed their richly painted coats of arms, while the Nederwaard kept things much more understated.

Strict Rules and an Invisible Boundary

Behind the scenes, life for the millers on both sides of the canal was far from easy. The water authority ruled with an iron fist. “The rules were incredibly strict,” Jan-Willem explains. “If you were accused of being drunk or the required fire barrel outside your windmill was empty, the board would vote and you could lose your job on the spot. That also meant losing your home, leaving your entire family without a place to live.” Fortunately, things began to change in the twentieth century. Millers gradually gained better working conditions, labor protections, and pension benefits.

Today, the hard work of pumping water has been taken over by modern pumping stations, and since 1995 the two sides have officially been part of the same water authority. Even so, the historic divide has never completely disappeared. The water management system is now digitally controlled from the city of Tiel, but everything is still duplicated. There are even two modern pumping stations standing side by side. And that old sense of rivalry? Jan-Willem laughs. “If you were born on the Nederwaard side, you’re still not likely to switch sides and join the Overwaard. After three hundred years, that friendly rivalry is still part of who we are.”