PHOTO_BallumPumpemøller

Ballum Pumpemøller After the abolition of serfdom in 1788, many improvements were made to Danish agriculture. Among other things, many waterlogged soils were drained. In 1836, Ballum meadows were exchanged between the farmers, and in the following years ditches were dug and dykes built. When each farmer got his share of the meadow, some farmers' animals were cut off from access to drinking water. In 1841, a community was therefore established that invested in Archimedes augers that could lift water from the fresh Brede river to water the animals. In 1842, two Dutch-style pumping mills were built. The mills were made entirely of wood and by the 1890s they were worn out and new iron mills were built. These mills operated until 1965. The water, which was collected from the Brede River, was distributed to the meadows via dug ditches.