Vogelenzang

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Contents 1 History 2 Current situation 3 Photos 4 Literature

[edit] History

Vogelenzang is a privately owned estate in the west of Holland, just south of Haarlem. The woods in this area were a popular hunting ground for the powerful Earls of Holland in the 13th century. In 1290 the most famous earl, Floris V, decided to build a hunting castle near 'Voghelsank'. This casle is gone, but by the end of the sixteenth century two separate buildings occupy the fields: De Olthoff (later renamed to Teylingerbosch) was built around 1580, encircled by a crooked square canal which is still visible today. Twenty years later the first version of the Huis te Vogelenzang was built, also encompassed by a rectangular canal. That first house probably looked somewhat like this.

Both houses remained in separate hands until 1757, when they came in the posession of Jan van Marcellis. From 1776 onwards his homonymous son introduced the landscape style in the gardens, as can be seen on the estate map from 1794. The main house, Huis te Vogelenzang, is visible in the centre of the map, at about two-thirds from the top; Teylingerbosch can be easily spotted in its rectangular enclosure at the bottom right hand.

All the typical components of the early landscape style are present: the important parts of the geometrical structure of the original layout have been retained, but these are now tied together by the irregular lines of the landscape garden. Even when the immediate surroundings of the main house are adapted to the modern style, the classic baroque central axis is still discernable both at the back and at the front of the house on the 1794 map. The design shows every distinguishing characteristic of the style of Johann Georg Michael, but it cannot be attributed to him with certainty.

In the beginning of the 19th century some alterations were made to the canal directly near the house (Vogelenzang), turning it into a pond. In the beginning of the 20th century extensive work has apparently been done by Henri Copijn, but I have yet to find out what he did.

[edit] Current situation

Today the estate is privately owned and still used as a house. There are several more private dwellings on the premises, but besides these areas the surrounding woods and fields are open to the public. Many of the avenues are still there, as well as the bigger winding paths that date back to the Marcellis age and some farmland at the same location as on the 1794 map. But the overall impression is that of an estate, conveniently located on the edge of an extensive woodland in which the old designs are slowly fading away by lack of knowledgeable maintenance.

At the same time, this gives the opportunity for wildlife from the surrounding woods to penetrate into the estate until very close to the house, as photographed here in the spring of 2007.

[edit] Photos

Here you can find a slideshow of photos of Vogelenzang.

[edit] Literature

C.J. Gonnet, 'Drie Buitenplaatsen', in: Haerlem, gedenkschrit uitgegeven ter gelegenheid van het vijf-en-twintig-jarig bestaan, Haarlem, 1926, p35-58.

Groesbeek, J.W., Middeleeuwse kastelen van Noord-Holland: hun bewoners en bewogen geschiedenis, Rijswijk, 1981.

J. Groskamp, 'De geschiedenis van de "Voghelsanck"', in: Ons Bloemendaal 7 (1983), p21-23.

Hulkenberg, A.M. (with drawings by C. Schut), Gezichten in Zuid-Kennemerland, Alphen aan den Rijn, 1991.

Tromp, H.M.J., Historische buitenplaatsen in particulier bezit, Utrecht 1991.