De Spitkeet is an open air rural museum near Harkema, Friesland, The Netherlands. A spitkeet was  akind of Earth-house.

The first exhibit you come to is a building called the Mallemolen:-

The Mallemolen acted as a poorhouse. The coldest room, on the northeast, was given to the latest arrivals and when others became available they would move into those:-

The rooms look not too bad though:-

Box beds:-

Near the Mallemolen was a stork’s nest:-

Iwema Steenhuis (see previous posts) has several exhibits relating to childhood.

Model of schoolroom:-

Vintage children’s books:-

Toy vehicles:-

I just loved those dinky caravans on the second top shelf above so here’s a close-up:-

There was also domestic memorabilia.

Inkwells and desktop paraphernalia:-

Inkwell partly in the shape of a Great War tank (a French Renault, I think):-

Old style shop:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qXyiBD

The museum part of Iwema Steenhuis has some industrial relics. A roller press:-

Machine for moulding speculaas biscuits:-

Speculaas and jelly moulds + wicker basket and rolling pins:-

A speculaas pressing machine:-

Stained glass and enamels:-

Colourings:-

Tiles and enamel signs:-

The name literally means Iwema stonehouse. Perhaps stone houses were rare in Groningen Province back in the day. It’s located not far away from Niebert Windmill.

Inside is a kind of museum of local life and community gathering place.

Interior and roof:-

Box bed and cupboard:-

Steps to box bed:-

A cooking range:-

The above is set within a dining room:-

Anlother dining room had a table covered with a rug:-

A fireplace:-

Kitchen stuff:-

Room with old sewing machine and radio:-

From the upper floor of Niebert Windmill you can walk out onto a hexagonal platform circling the windmill. However parts of it are sectioned off so that you cannot fully walk round it.

This video of the sails shows why access is restricted. They could take your head off or throw you off the platform:-

A view from the platform:-

Another view, showing flag of Groningen Province:-

Niebert is a village in Groningen Province, The Netherlands. Its windmill also had an open day while were were there last June.

Windmill:-

Sketch of how a windmill works:-

I spotted these in a display case inside the  Windmill. At first I thought they might be cigarette cards but no. They are matchbox cards:-

Interior:-

Gearing wheel:-

Stairs. These were quite scary to ascend:-

And to descend!:-

Upper floor:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qVMjui

Like similar country houses in the UK there wereexhibits of domestic life in Coendersborg.

Box bed + nightshirt:-

and bed pan:-

Wall tiles:-

Coendersborg basement:-

There was a museumy bit at the back of the house with exposed wooden beams:-

Poster of Squirrel. In Dutch a squirrel is an eekhorn. We spotted a red one from the house’s front window:-

Poster of flowers to be found in Coendersborg’s garden:-

Back of house:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qVvcrb

Coendersborg is a country estate in the village of Nuis in the Dutch province of Groningen.

Estate house:-

The hall:-

Painting in above photo:-

Fireplace in another room:-

Latin motto on a wall:-

Painting of house:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qVw8PT

Inside Sebaldeburen Windmill there were several windmill related displays.

Models of windmills:-

Another set of windmill models had electrically driven sails:-

Cutaway model:-

Collectables:-

Hanging embroidery depicting various Dutch windmills. (Hanging embroideries like this seem to be a Dutch thing):-

Pictures of windmills:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qUnZ5x

Windmill shaft. Note thatch on walls:-

Apparatus:-

Steps. We would call this a ladder really, but stairs in Dutch houses tend to be very steep:-

One of the walls on the upper floor had a couple of paintings of the windmill:-

View from window:-

And as a plus here’s a video of the outflow into the canal:-

https://flic.kr/p/2qUj7A8