Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Wichmond

The earliest known history of Kasteel Hackfort (Hackfort Castle) is dating back to the year of 1324, when the Lord of Bronckhorst commissioned the building of a castle. In 1392 ‘House Hacforden’ was nothing more than just a residential tower and a moat. In 1586 the castle was destroyed by the Spanish troops during the Eighty Year's War (the Dutch Independent War). After the liberation of the region by Prince Maurits van Oranje, the castle was rebuilt in 1598 by Borchard van Westerholt. In 1788, Kasteel Hackfort underwent substantial renovations. The old gate house and outbuildings were demolished and the canals were filled in. The castle was transformed into an 18th-century manor house. Nowadays only the two thick cylindrical towers are reminders of the (former) castle. The castle is surrounded by forests and meadows and includes Hackfort Watermill . The castle remained for centuries in the possession of the family Van Westerholt. When the last Baroness Westerholt of Hackfort died in1981, Kasteel Hackfort and estate were donated to Natuurmonumenten (a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments).

The Watermolen Hackfort (Hackfort Watermill) is located on the estate Hackfort , close to the castle of the same name. The undershot watermill was first mentioned in the year 1442, while the current square stone building was built around 1700. The mill is equipped with a water wheel with blades and is powered by water from the Hackfortse Beek. The water wheel drives millstones to grind grain. The water mill also supplies electricity to the electricity network. In 1952 the mill was shut down due to the poor condition of the wheel and building. At that time the stream also contained too little water to power the mill. In 1981, the estate (with castle and mill) came into the hands of the Natuurmonumenten (a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments) and was refurbished. After the water board had ensured that sufficient water flowed through the Hackfortse Beek, a new water wheel was installed in 1998. Since that moment the mill has been in use. Volunteer millers are sawing wood and grinding grain for cattle feed on hydropower. On Saturdays and on special occasions the mill is open to visitors.

The name 'stinzenplanten' originates from the Frisian word 'stins', which means 'stone'. That refers to the time when only rich people had a house of stone. From the 16th century onwards, adventurers took all kinds of bulbous, tuberous and root plants with them from their travels. They sold these plants to people who could afford them: owners of country estates, castles and mansions. ‘Stinzenplanten’ are very suitable for naturalization. On some estates the house has already disappeared, but the plants still bloom every spring. On the Hackfort estate around the medieval castle have always been many stinzenplanten in the landscape park, dating back from around 1820. It is known that there were large areas of forest anemones and lilies of the valley. But more and more blackberries got the upper hand and many of the original flowers disappeared. In 1981, Hackfort Castle and estate were donated to Natuurmonumenten (Netherlands Natural Heritage Society). In 2009 an inventory of the plants was made and a year later the society commissioned landscape-architect Trudi Woertman to make a design for an additional stinzenflora planting on Hackfort. Nowadays the park around the castle is an imposing eye-catcher with thousands of blooming springtime flowers.

The Watermolen Hackfort is located on the estate Hackfort , close to the castle of the same name. The mill was first mentioned in the year 1442, while the current square stone building was built around 1700. The mill is equipped with a water wheel with blades and is powered by water from the Hackfortse Beek. The water wheel drives millstones to grind grain. The water mill also supplies electricity to the electricity network. In 1952 the mill was shut down because of the poor condition of the wheel and building. At that time the stream also contained too little water to power the mill. In 1981, the estate (with castle and mill) passed into the hands of the Natuurmonumenten and was refurbished. After the water board had ensured that sufficient water flowed through the Hackfortse Beek, a new water wheel was installed in 1998. Since that moment the mill has been in use. Volunteer millers are sawing wood and grinding grain for cattle feed on hydropower. On Saturdays and on special occasions the mill is open to visitors.

The history of Hackfort Castle is dating back to the year of 1322, when it was officially mentioned. In 1392 ‘House Hacforden’ was nothing more than just a residential tower. In the 1586 the castle was destroyed by the Spanish troops during the Eighty Year's War (the Dutch Independent War). After the liberation of the region by Prince Maurits van Oranje, the castle was rebuilt in 1598 by Borchard van Westerholt. In 1788, Hackfort Castle underwent substantial renovations. The old gate house and outbuildings were demolished and the canals were filled in. The castle was transformed into an 18th-century manor house. Nowadays only the two thick cylindrical towers are reminders of the (former) castle. The castle is surrounded by forests and meadows and includes the watermill of Hackfort. The castle remained for centuries in the possession of the family Van Westerholt. When the last Baroness Westerholt of Hackfort died in1981, Hackfort Castle and estate were donated to Natuurmonumenten (Netherlands Natural Heritage Society). The house, coachhouse (nowadays a restaurant) and watermill have since been restored and opened to the public.