Å-Mølle near Remmerstrand
Å-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.
HMS St. George and HMS Defence
During a hurricane on 24 December 1811, HMS Defence ran aground with 560 men on board two kilometres north of Thorsminde. A little later, HMS St. George also ran aground with 865 men on board. The ship ran aground two kilometres south of Thorsminde. On the stranded ships, the many sailors fought in vain against the sea. Lifeboats were unknown at that time, and when the waves crushed HMS St. George and HMS Defence, the sea took almost everyone on board with it to their deaths. 1408 died. Only 17 survived. This is the largest stranding disaster on the entire West Coast ever.
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. Å-Mølle is very special, as one of the two water wheel running gear represents the old Roman form of traction (Beighton Drive) and Å-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
Å-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 Aa-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 Aa-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 Aa-Mølles Laug took over ownership of Aa-Mølle and has so far clearly met its objective with the help of local volunteers.
Relations to the geopark
The Aa-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.