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

The history of Buitenplaats Beeckestijn (summer residence Beeckestijn) goes back to the 15th century. Beeckestijn used to be a country house for rich merchants from Amsterdam. In 1742, Jan Jacob Boreel bought Beeckestijn. Of all the residents, he left his mark on the appearance of the estate the most. Since early 2011, Natuurmonumenten has been the manager of the gardens and the park forest. The publicly accessible gardens of Beeckestijn are unique in the Netherlands, because it is the only location where one can simultaneously view two historically different styles. Just behind the manor a geometrically conceived part in the style of the French Baroque and adjacent a more natural English landscape park. Beeckestijn also has so-called utility gardens, such as a vegetable garden, orchard and herb garden. One of these gardens has a serpentine wall on two sides. The Netherlands only has eight of these walls left, two of which are at Beeckestijn. The winding shape retains heat from the sun and ensures that espalier fruit such as peaches, apricots and other exotic fruits can grow here. Garden and park forest are managed by ‘Natuurmonumenten’ - a Dutch society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.

Buitenplaats Beeckestijn (summer residence Beeckestijn) is an 18th century estate and one of the few entirely intact large country houses, which was created as summer residences for wealthy Amsterdam merchants and regents on the edge of the dunes in Kennemerland. The present building was created from a 17th century manor and had several alterations and extensions. The most extensive expansion took place between 1716 and 1721, commissioned by Jan Trip jr. and Petronella van Hoorn. Among other things the 17th century façade was replaced by a Louis-XIV façade, with chequered pilasters and a richly decorated entrance. For more than two centuries Beeckestijn remained in the ownership of the Boreel family, until it was acquired by the municipality of Velsen in 1952. During WW II the house was seriously damaged. It became uninhabitable and key interior elements disappeared; the restoration was completed in 1969. The manor is now owned and managed by ‘Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser’ - an association for the preservation of historic houses in the Netherlands. Since June 2019 Buitenplaats Beeckestijn is a museum, where one can experience the atmosphere in which the rich merchants of Amsterdam used to live.

De Wildenborch is one of the eight castles in and around the village of Vorden. The country estate consists of a castle with a round tower and side wings, a building house with a coach house attached to it and 38 ha. partly landscaped garden and partly park forest. The gardens of ‘De Wildenborch’ - considered being one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands - are open for public a couple of times a year. In spring, the English landscape garden is traditionally opened one weekend to let visitors enjoy the vast fields of snowdrops (and winter aconites). Between the deciduous trees, along the paths, near the water features; these heralds of spring appear everywhere and form a white carpet of flowers in various places. During our visit in 2021, the winter aconites - unlike exactly ten years earlier - were not yet in bloom. But we were able to enjoy thousands, if not millions of snowdrops.

De Wildenborch (“castle in the wild marsh”), as it is seen today, looks nothing like the strong medieval fortress that had great defensive significance until the 17th century. The castle was located in a watery and wild swampy area and that location made the fortified house an almost impregnable fortress. It is assumed that the house originally consisted of a strong, square residential tower, surrounded by a swampy, repeatedly moated area. Only the current tower of the castle still contains remains of the originally medieval front gate. The oldest mention of De Wildenborch dates from 1371, when it was in the possession of robber knight “Sweder Rodebaert van Wisch”. The oldest known feudal document is from 1449. The castle remained in the hands of the “Van Wisch” family for a long time. The successive lords lived in politically turbulent times and were repeatedly in armed conflict with the cities of Zutphen and Deventer and with the Duke of Gelre. There were several unsuccessful siege attempts around 1500. The “Van Wisch” family died out in 1541. Via a female heiress, the castle came into the hands of the “Van Limburg Stirum” family. Over the centuries there have been several renovations. From the second half of the 17th century onwards, the castle rapidly fell into disrepair, after which it was sold in 1700. At that time only the inhabitable gate tower was remaining. After several changes of ownership, De Wildenborch was auctioned in 1757. The buyers were probably only interested in the five thousand oaks that stood on the estate. After these had been auctioned, the estate was sold again in 1768. In 1780 “Damiaan Hugo Staring” and his wife bought De Wildenborch . His son “Anthony Christiaan Winand Staring” - a well known Dutch poet - was another well known resident of the castle. He filled and planted most of the surrounding marshland with deciduous trees. The house is still inhabited by descendants of “Staring”. Nowadays De Wildenborch is one of the eight castles in and around the village of Vorden in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The country estate consists of a castle with a round tower and side wings, a building house with a coach house attached to it and 38 ha. partly landscaped garden and partly park forest. There are large water features around the house. The house is closed to the public. The gardens of ‘De Wildenborch’ are open for public a couple of times a year.

Huize Kruisvoorde is a monumental country house. Part of this former ‘havezate’ (manorial farm) dates from the 16th century. The building is also known as Crusefort , Cruystenvoorde or Cruysvoorde . The name probably refers to a voorde , a ford at a crossing of the trade route to Deventer and the dug waterway Terwoldse Wetering . Huize Kruisvoorde was looted in 1572, during the Eighty Years' War. In the 18th century, a front wing was added to the building. A century later, the manor was given a coat of plaster, but this was removed at the beginning of the 20th century. An imposing square tower was then added to the building. Huize Kruisvoorde - like nearby De Parckelaer - became a Dutch heritage site in 1971. Nowadays, the country house is privately owned.

Originally De Parckelaer was a so called havezate (manorial farm). The oldest mention of the house dates from 1434. Just like the nearby Kruisvoorde manor house, the building belonged to the Van Mermuden family. Later, the manor came into the possession of the Van Essen and Van Reede families, important noblemen on the Veluwe. The present building dates from the end of the 17th century or the beginning of the 18th century. In 1843, the building became the property of the commissioner Jacob Roeters van Lennep. Commissioned by his son the building was given a new frontage in 1868. The entrance was also provided with a cast-iron roof with a balcony on the first floor. At the end of the 19th century, the house was empty and fell into disrepair. Fortunately, the Parckelaer's demolition was prevented. In 1990 and the following years, the building was restored. De Parckelaer became a national Dutch heritage site in 1991. The estate is still privately owned and not open to the public.

Huis Zypendaal is a manor - although the locals call it popularly a castle - located in the green outskirts of Arnhem in Park Zypendaal . The house is surrounded by beautiful parklands and is situated on an isle in the valley of the Sint Jansbeek. Huis Zypendaal was built in the years 1762-1764 for the wealthy family Brantsen - who owned already a large house in the city center of Arnhem - as a summer residence. The house was built just south of an older one, called ‘die Syp’ or ‘Sypendall’, which was demolished. Till 1926 the manor was inhabited by ancestors of the first owner Hendrik Willem Brantsen. Since 1975 it houses the ‘Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen Foundation’. Huis Zypendaal is well known for its 18th century architecture and impressive period furniture. The house has limited opening hours (mostly on Sundays) for visitors.

The history of the estates in ‘s-Graveland dates back to the year of 1625 (during the Dutch Golden Age). In that year wealthy Amsterdam merchants did get permission to cultivate an area west of Hilversum The sandy soil was excavated and transported by boat to Amsterdam, where it was used for the expansion of the city. On the way back, the ships took manure and rubbish with them to enrich the infertile soil of 's-Graveland. Initially farms were founded on the lots and leased to farmers. Later several estates were created with country houses with park-like gardens. Jagtlust is a small country estate that historically belongs to the other estates of 's-Graveland. The original farmstead is known by various names such as Het Derde Heihuis , Groot Jan and De Laetste Stuyver . It was not until 1791 that the name Jagtlust was used. Jagtlust was built on the site of a former inn De Laetste Stuyver . Originally it was a fairly simple country house. More than 70 years after the estate Heilust was added to Jagtlust , it was given its present form in 1900. The house became a second storey, a tower-like extension with a circular staircase and an adjoining orangery. Although one of the smaller estates in 's-Graveland it has a lot to offer: an impressive manor, a large vegetable garden, all kinds of follies and a number of remarkable trees. Among them a moerascipres (Bald cypress), planted around the year of 1865. This tree has a lot of remarkable cypress knees, which is very rare in the Netherlands (PiP3). A nearby tulpenboom (Liriodendron) is even some years older. This tree was struck by lightning a few years ago and will be cut down for safety reasons (PiP4 and 5) In 2006 the estate was bought by Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands), ensuring that the manors and their gardens can retain their grandeur. Nowadays Jagtlust is one of the ten estates in 's-Graveland.

The history of the estates in ‘s-Graveland dates back to the year of 1625 (during the Dutch Golden Age). In that year wealthy Amsterdam merchants did get permission to cultivate an area west of Hilversum The sandy soil was excavated and transported by boat to Amsterdam, where it was used for the expansion of the city. On the way back, the ships took manure and rubbish with them to enrich the infertile soil of 's-Graveland. Initially farms were founded on the lots and leased to farmers. Later several estates were created with country houses with park-like gardens. In 1634, 27 lots were raffled among interested parties. One of the lots went to “Pieter Cornelisz Hooft” and “Godert van Reede” who bought the piece of land as an investment because of the sand digging. Hooft and his wife were living on Muiderslot Castle . In 1657 “Jacob Bicker” became the owner, who had a farm, possibly as a country house. The current country house was built in 1779 - late Louis XVI-style - for “Gerrit Corver Hooft”, administrator of the West-Indische Companie (Dutch West India Company). In the following years, the geometric garden was laid out on the estate, which in the early 19th century was transformed into an English landscape-style park. In 1895, “Louise Six” inherited the estate. When she died in 1934, she bequeathed Gooilust to the Vereiniging Natuurmonumenten (Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands). The park is freely accessible, but the manor itself is not.

The history of the estates in ‘s-Graveland dates back to the year of 1625 (during the Dutch Golden Age). In that year wealthy Amsterdam merchants did get permission to cultivate an area west of Hilversum The sandy soil was excavated and transported by boat to Amsterdam, where it was used for the expansion of the city. On the way back, the ships took manure and rubbish with them to enrich the infertile soil of 's-Graveland. Initially farms were founded on the lots and leased to farmers. Later several estates were created with country houses with park-like gardens. Two of the plots came into the hands of “Jan van Hellemond”, a very wealthy husband of “Margaret van Raephorst”. In 1654 the couple built a luxurious country estate called De Hooge Dreuvik . After Jan's death (1665) Margaret inherited the estate. Two years later she married with Cornelis Tromp - famous Dutch admiral - who became the owner of the estate. But the manor - like many others in ‘s-Graveland - were looted and burned by the French during the Dutch War in 1672. The country house was rebuilt from 1675 to 1684 by Tromp, who called it Sillisburgh , after one of his titles. Around 1720 “Jacob Roeters” came into possession of the estate and renamed it Trompenburgh . The house is almost entirely surrounded by water and was built to resemble a ship, even with decks and railings. Of the many manors in 's-Graveland Trompenburgh is the most elegant. Nowadays Trompenburgh is owned by Stichting Monumenten Bezit , a Dutch foundation acting as a national management organisation for monuments and/or buildings of cultural and historical value. The estate is not open for visitors.

Huis Schouwenburg was originally a farm and was first mentioned in the beginning of the 14th century. Later it became a country house, which became its current shape between 1750 and 1760. Some parts are older: early 17th or early 18th century. The mansion and the outbuildings (coach house, service house, farm, stables) were rebuilt many times and even demolished. Huis Schouwenburg changed hands many times. It was bought by mr. J.G.W.H. baron of Sytzama in 1867, after which the estate remained in the hands of this family for more than a hundred years. In 1976 the house and part of the estate came into the possession of the Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland. The house and the outbuildings were bought in 2008 by private individuals, who now inhabit it.

Huis Landfort (Country Hous Landfort) is located on a location near the German border along the river “Oude IJssel”. The official history of Landfort begins in 1434, when the estate was first mentioned in a document. It was then called “Lanckvoort”, most probably because there was a ford in the river. Landfort looked different in the past compared to the present. In former times it consisted of a square building with four corner towers. Around the house there was a moat with a bridge that led to the entrance door. This was the shape of the house until 1823-25. In those years the house became its current, elongated form. At the same time, the surrounding park was landscaped. In the romantic park there is a separate building: a pigeon tower in Moorish style. During World War II the mansion was severely damaged. In 1970 the family who inhabited the estate was forced to sell it. Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen , a foundation for the protection of nature and landscape in the province of Gelderland, became the new owner. The estate is still owned and managed by the foundation, but the house is sold and will be - after the current restoration - privately inhabited.

Dickninge estate - about 75 hectares in size - consists next to the monumental Dickninge Manor of a farmhouse and restored gardener's house. On the edge of the cultivated area and beautiful forests, near the river De Reest is still a rural cottage, beautifully situated in the green. The original destination of the building with its fence in front is quickly clear. The toll at the border of Dickninge is already very old. For the owners of Huize Dickninge it was a welcome source of income. The road between Staphorst and De Wijk crossed for many years the estate. In the second half of the 19th century the road over Dickninge lost its significance as a direct connection. In February 1948, official tolls in Drenthe were abolished, but the private toll in Dickninge remained. The last toll collector left in 1962. After that the house was refurbished and inhabited for many years by the latest owner of Huize Dickninge, Mrs. Roëll.

Huize Dickninge (Manor Dickninge) is located in a beautiful region around De Wijk with lots of manors and estates. Its history is dating back to the late Middle Ages; in the year of 1325 the Benedictine monastery ‘Soetendale’ moved from Ruinen to Dickninge. It was inhabited by monks and nuns till 1652. In 1796 the buildings were bought by Reint Hendrik de Vos van Steenwijk. After a demolition Manor Dickninge was rebuild in 1913 in an Empire-style. The garden is dating back to 1820.and is famous for the - quite rare - blooming Hollowroot in spring (see: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/41492970/in/album/537905) .

Beeckestijn is an 18th century estate and one of the few entirely intact large country houses, which was created as summer residences for wealthy Amsterdam regents on the edge of the dunes in Kennemerland. The present building was created from a 17th century manor and had several alterations and extensions. The most extensive expansion took place between 1716 and 1721, commissioned by Jan Trip jr. and Petronella van Hoorn. Among other things the 17th century façade was replaced by a Louis-XIV façade, with chequered pilasters and a richly decorated entrance. For more than two centuries Beeckestijn remained in the ownership of the Boreel family, until it was acquired by the municipality of Velsen in 1952. During WW II the house was seriously damaged. It became uninhabitable and key interior elements disappeared; the restoration was completed in 1969. The publicly accessible gardens of Beeckestijn are unique in the Netherlands, because it is the only location where one can simultaneously view two historically different styles. Just behind the manor a geometrically conceived part in the style of the French Baroque and adjacent a more natural English landscape park. The manor is now owned by ‘Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser’ - an association for the preservation of historic houses in the Netherlands - and the garden and park by ‘Natuurmonumenten’ - a society for preservation of nature monuments in the Netherlands.

Between the year of 1325 and 1652 Dickninge was a Benedictine monastery. The monks and nuns created a garden with lots of so called ‘stinsenplanten’: called after a ‘stins’, a stone house owned by noble families. Originally the name was used in the province of Friesland, but in the meantime quite common in the whole country. These plants were mostly blooming during springtime. The monks however were not interested in the flowers, but in the drugs they could make from the roots. One of the plants was the ‘holwortel’ (Hollowroot), or as people in De Wijk still call it ‘kloosterkruid’ (monastery herb). The garden around Manor Dickninge - www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/40765440 - is famous for the huge number of blooming Hollowroots, which is quite rare in the Netherlands. Hollowroots and other ‘stinsenplanten’ are blooming - weather depending - between half March and half April.

In the year of 1625 rich Amsterdam merchants did get permission to cultivate an area west of Hilversum – nowadays called 's-Graveland. The sandy soil was excavated and transported by boat to Amsterdam, where it was used for the expansion of the city. Initially farms were founded on the lots. Later several estates were created, covering a manor in a large park and a farmhouse with pastures and fields. One of these estates is Boekesteyn, where the first owner Benedict Schaeck built a farm. Early 18th century the property was sold and on a map of 1725 a house is already marked. Around the year of 1750 the estate got its name “Boekesteyn”, probably named after the many beech trees on the property (boeke = beuk = beech); the lawn at the front of the manor still has some of these historic beeches. Huis Boekesteyn was built twenty years later by Solomon Dedel. During a renovation and expansion in 1915 it got the present tower and conservatory. In 1992 the estate is purchased by Natuurmonumenten, a Dutch nature organization. Nowadays Boekesteyn is one of the more than ten estates in 's-Graveland.

‘Huis Doorn’ was first mentioned in the year of 838 as ‘Villa Thorhem’. Later this ‘Hof Doorn’ was owned by a deanery. Around 1200 the castle is owned by the dean of the cathedral itself and used as monastic grange. The oldest parts of ‘Huis Doorn’ are dating back to the end of the 13th century and (most probably) built by dean Adolf van Waldeck. In 13 22 the castle was completely destroyed and rebuilt twenty-five years later as a moated seat. In the following centuries the castle had many owners and was often renovated and expanded. At the end of the 18th century it was converted into an elegant country house, still with a moat. The surrounding park was laid out as an English landscape garden. At the end of World War I the last German Kaiser Wilhelm II fled to the neutral Netherlands, where he was given political asylum. After a stay in Castle Amerongen he bought ‘Huis Doorn’ in 1919. After extensive alterations he finally moved to Doorn in May 1920, where he lived in exile until his death in June 1941. He is buried in a mausoleum in the gardens (PiP 3). After the German occupation in World War II, the house was seized by the Dutch government as hostile property. Nowadays - still owned by the government - it houses a museum about World War I and the life of Kaiser Wilhelm II in ‘Huis Doorn’.