Historical Gardens

Schaep en Burgh, the most northern of the estates in ‘s-Graveland, is currently being restored by its owner Natuurmonumenten. The estate, which originated in the 17th century, had been remodeled in 1818 into a landscape garden by architect J. D. Zocher Jr. Natuurmonumenten are now using a map from around 1820 as a guideline for their restoration.¹ The work is the first step of an extensive revitalisation plan by Natuurmonumenten. Apart from Schaep en Burgh, they will also start work on the other 9 estates they own in ‘s-Graveland.

The work that has taken place in November and December 2008 focusses on the hook-shaped pond that Zocher designed just behind the house, the so-called ‘Lindenkom’. A photo taken in September 2008 shows how overgrown the area around the pond had become. Views over the pond, originally intended by Zocher, were blocked by undergrowth which was sometimes intentionally planted in the 190 years since the original design was made. A path running along the banks of the pond was barely visible and consequently barely used, I noticed during my visit in September 2008.

This photo made earlier this month shows the current situation. The trees on the island (in the shade on the right side of the picture) are all cleared and replaced by new planting. The banks along large portions of the pond are also cleared. New shrubs are planted and several species of trees replace the cut down trees.² The view at the house, and other important vistas, are open again.
As far as I can tell from my winterly visit, they have overdone the planting of shrubs around the pond a bit. The plan boasts the planting of 1600 plants, but they are planted frightingly close together. In my view, Natuurmonumenten has been a bit too eager to create a ‘voluptuous’ shrubbery in too short a time.

This eagerness may have been insprired by criticism on the work they are doing. In November 2008 objections were raised against the extensive clearing of trees and shrubs in the garden. Apart from the architectural and historical arguments -which in my view speak in favour of this restoration- the critics must not have realised that the abundance of mature beech trees in the garden would have posed a problem of increasing proportions in the near future, as they seem to have reached the point that they fall down without warning already. The work started with the clearing of two beech trees right next to the house, which were suffering major fungus infections. Beech trees have been falling apart in the whole area the past years, like a 260 year old specimen at Gooilust in April 2008 and one just behind the Lindenkom at Schaep en Burgh in the past months (photo), which only appears to have damaged a neighbouring tree in its fall.³

The stump of a recently broken beech tree at Schaep en Burgh, caused by a fungus infection. The ‘Lindenkom’ is visible in the background. Photos by HvdE.

Beech trees (in The Netherlands) have a lifespan of 200-300 years, when they are happy with their designated location. Trees in gardens are not always planted on favourable spots as far as life span is concerned. I believe people who care about parks and gardens -in their neighbourhood or in general- must prepare for a clearing of beech trees on a large scale in the upcoming decades, because they have been used abundantly in early 19th century landscape gardens throughout the country. I just hope they will be replaced with a good idea in mind, either by a modern layout, or a as the result of a restoration or revitalisation plan as is the case here.

1. I have not yet been able to trace that map down, I will post that when I have found it. The map is found in the Wijdemeren archive. Research was done by SB4. [back]
2. Among usual suspects as beech, oak and Populus nigra ‘Italica’, they also planted specimens of the Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera), which seems a bit out of tune. But I’m happy to be surprised by the result. [back]
3. Regional paper Gooi en Eemlander reported on the Gooilust beech tree on 22 April 2008, but the report is not available on their website anymore. [back]

Those who want to see the new temple at Twickel with their own eyes will have to wait till spring 2009, when the gardens are opened to the public again. If you can’t wait that long, I have a picture or two of the new temple that may help pass the six five months till then with more ease (and anticipation, perhaps).
More images of the temple and Twickel as a whole are presented when you click the link ‘Twickel’ behind ‘HGimages’ below this post.

The temple is built as part of the second phase of the ongoing improvements under supervision of landscape architect Michael van Gessel, a process that started as early as 1999. Inspiration for this temple was found nearby: a design from 1833 by Johan David Zocher Jr. was retained in the Twickel house archives. That design was never executed, nor do we know for which location of the park it was originally intended.

The new temple on its elevated location. Photo by HvdE.

The idea to create the temple at this spot came in connection with plans to upgrade a location which had become derelict: the mount (‘Bergje’). It is a high and steep artificial hill lying right next to the pond that was dug there in the late 18th century, the Fonteingat. What should have been a focal point as well as an elevated spot to have an overview over the garden from, had –ironically- turned into a rather secluded spot in the garden. That had to change.

Last year the plan was announced on the website of Twickel. This year the building work has been done. The planting of the slopes of the hill, which should be covered in plants except for its ‘summit’ (according to last year’s announcement), will probably take place in the upcoming planting season.

The temple is a beautiful small neo-classical building with a copper plated roof supported by six Doric columns. It does provide a good focal point and it is a welcome addition, especially when seen from the part of the garden directly behind the castle, where the castle itself used to be the main and almost only focal point for the visitor.

The plans included a refurbishing of the paths circling up and down the hill to and from the top. Up till now, they were lined with simple wooden railings and were mere soil paths. In the new situation, the railing has gone and the paths are lined with stones of all shapes and sizes -I saw a fragment of a millstone in there somewhere- forming irregular steps and preventing the soil from obeying gravity.

Michael Jackson’s Neverland and Loosdrecht’s Eikenrode would never have been linked on this blog if it weren’t for the fact that they have been sharing similar fates during the last few months. Both estates were put up to auction by their respective banks in recent months, and both estates were able to avoid that public sale at the last minute. The difference is that where one is world news -the possible auction of Neverland even received coverage by Dutch local regional press, news on the fate of Eikenrode never gained attention outside of the realm of the regional press -and this blog, ofcourse.

The main house of Eikenrode after the restoration. Both photo’s by GVB Architecten, 2003.

Eikenrode was to be publically sold last week, but a few days before the auction the owners, the municipality and the banks reached an agreement on how to go forward. The province of Noord-Holland brought all parties together to reach this solution, according to their press release on the matter. It seems there are no new agreements made between parties, nor is the process of transferring the grounds from the municipality to the current owner of the house completed. The bank, who threatened to sell the estate because it took the other parties ages to complete this transfer, must have been assured by all parties they would not lose money on this deal. This means that Martien Plasmeijer can proceed with his plans to gradually restore the estate and develop new ways to make money at Eikenrode.

Eikenrode was established in 1845 for the Hacke family, who lived on the estate until 1974. The design of both the house and the gardens is attributed to architect Johan David Zocher jr, but as far as I know this attribution is based on oral history, not on documentation.¹ Much of the original layout of the garden is still visible today. In recent years Plasmeijer restored the main house and ice-cellar. As soon as the transfer is completed, work on restoring the coach-house annex orangerie can begin. Plasmeijer is planning appartments for elderly people who need to be cared for (zorgappartementen) in this building, which was destroyed by fire last December.
Earlier photo’s (from 2003) show that this building was in a deplorable state even before the fire. The cause of the fire has never been established (or has not been made public). A short video of the fire can be found in this earlier post.

Note:

1. Attribution by H.M. van der Wijck, De Nederlandse Buitenplaats. Aspecten van ontwikkeling, bescherming en herstel, 1982, p.311. This information is maintained on the TUiN database, with the addition that the attribution is based on oral history. Archiwijzer says the garden and orangerie are indeed by Zocher, but not the house. Though it resembles Zocher’s later design of the house of Molenbosch in Zeist, according to them the architect of the main house of Eikenrode is Jan Streefkerk. [back]