Volmolen

The most famous building in the Geul valley is probably the Volmolen near Epen. The mill was part of the Vaals cloth industry. Due to the location of the mill on the Geul, a lot of water was available for filling, the felting of wool. There was not such a large amount of water in the vicinity of Vaals.

Fulling improves the quality of woven woolen fabric. The material is placed in large oak tubs, which are filled with a mixture of full earth (a kind of clay), linseed oil, rancid butter, urine, and water. Rammers, driven by the water power of the Geul, flatten the fabric. Fourteen hours later, the woolen sheets have become felty, rougher, and stronger.

The smell at the Geul
The urine and rancid butter needed for filling were discharged into the Geul after use. It is therefore not surprising that the Volmolen was built outside the village center of Epen!

Grain mill
In 1872 the Volmolen was converted into a grain mill. The grain that is milled by volunteer millers today comes from natural fields and goes to organic livestock farming.

Because it is such an old mill, I chose to put it in black and white. A little vintage is certainly part of this.