Cultural-historical oil mill

A cultural asset from the early 18th century

The oil mill and trough, an impressive cultural monument from the early 18th century, was built in the style of a pagan house and is surrounded like an island by the wild Gutach and the mill canal. Built in the 18th century, it is about 20 minutes' walk from the centre of Simonswald.

The oil mill is driven by an undershot water wheel and consists of various equipment such as a rapeseed mill, a grating stone, an oil furnace and a pressing device called the Torckelbaum. Fruits such as rape, poppies, walnuts and beechnuts from the valley were processed into oil here. The trough had a similarly important function as the oil mill, as it played a central role in the intensive winegrowing of the valley about 100 years ago. After the vineyards had been cultivated, the farm switched to fruit growing and the fruit was pressed into must.

The impressive Torckel tree, a massive oak lever arm ten metres long, was marked with the year 1712, which can also be found in the house.
In order to halt the building's decline, the oil mill was privately purchased in 1974 and subsequently restored and preserved. In 1999, the municipality of Simonswald acquired the oil mill and leased it to the Brauchtumsverein Simonswäldertal 2000 e.V.. In 2002, after 42 years, walnut oil could be produced there again for the first time.

You can find the opening hours on the homepage: 
https://www.simonswald.de/de/tourismus-freizeit/tourismus/sehenswertes/oelmuehle