Aa-Mølle near Remmerstrand

Aa-Mølle is a 500-year-old listed watermill, considered one of the most interesting of its kind in Denmark. The mill has the only intact example of a Roman form of traction called Beighton Drive.

The natural values

The Natura 2000 area is only partially within the boundaries of the geopark. It concerns Husby Sø, which covers 168 hectares and has surrounding bog and meadow areas. The lake is a large shallow lake located on an old marine foreland south of Nissum Fjord. The lake is surrounded by a zone of reeds, and the catchment area consists mainly of drained agricultural areas. The water from these agricultural areas is pumped into the lake via pumping stations. The lake also receives water from a number of small tributaries. An ochre purification plant has now been built in connection with the heavily ochre-laden ditches south of Husby Sø.

Husby Sø is botanically one of the country's most species-rich lakes. In 2005, 54 plant species were found, of which 41 were underwater plants, 6 species of cinquefoil, 1 species of moss and 7 species of floating leaf vegetation. 14 of the country's 19 species of watercress were registered, as well as 3 crossbreeds of watercress. 10 species of flowering plants are on the Danish yellow list, i.e. species that have declined nationally in recent years. In addition, there is the species watercress, which is on the Danish red list (vulnerable) and an EU species of responsibility. However, the occurrence of watercress is considered to be highly threatened due to overgrowth with, among other things, reeds and sea cones, and a lack of dynamics due to the dikes along the shore. Maintenance measures are being taken in cooperation with the private landowners, with mowing of vegetation along the shore and grazing.

The area is home to several interesting bird species. These include the common tern, the common harrier, the black tern and a large colony of black-backed gulls. The area is also home to otters and, more recently, beavers, which have spread from Klosterheden . There is also the opportunity to see a local version of the black sun, when starlings gather in their thousands at sunset.

Water wheels and walking devices

Before 1939, the mill operated with an underfall wheel, which was changed to a “breastfall” and has now been changed to an overfall wheel – each of these designations refers to how the water hits the large water wheel. Aa-Mølle is very special, as one of the two water wheel running gear represents the old Roman form of traction (Beighton Drive) and Aa-Mølle is the only intact example in Northern Europe with this particular technique. The running gears pull several mills, a hoist and a flour sieve. None of them are probably the original ones. Thus, during a visit to Å-mølle, you will encounter different types of running gear and materials from different time periods.

Volunteers take over the mill

Aa-Mølle was privately owned until 1961, and the ownership is known all the way back to 1718. In 1961, the then owner and third-generation miller Hans Hedegaard sold the mill to the National Museum in order to save it, but continued to live in the house next door. In 1972, the Friends of Danish Mills took over Å-Mølle, and to ensure local involvement, the Aa-Mølles Laug was established in 1999, and in 2013 was transformed into an independent association with the purpose: “as owner of the listed Aa-Mølle, to preserve and operate Å-Mølle for posterity, as a historical monument and a cultural attraction, and to give the public access to the historic water mill.” On January 1, 2015, the Å-Mølles Laug took over ownership of Å-Mølle and has so far clearly met its objective with the help of local volunteers.

Relations to the geopark

The Å-Møllefredningen, the watermill and the developed trail system, including up to Toftum Bjerge, and the many volunteers ensure that you get a wonderful cultural-historical, geological and biological geopark experience here.