Jagtlust bought by Natuurmonumenten

In recent news: Natuurmonumenten has bought Jagtlust for €6,2 million. Jagtlust is one of the many estates in ‘s Graveland, but less well known because up till now it has been private property. The current owner will be living in the coach house after the sale. The house and coach house will be restricted areas, Natuurmonumenten will open (parts of) the park for public.

The house, with 9.5 hectare of land, has been for sale for over four years. Initially the asking price for the estate was €13.5 million, thus making it the most expensive real estate property brought to the market by a private owner in The Netherlands. In early 2005, the asking price had already been dropped by €4 million. The €6.2 million for which the estate was eventually sold, is brought together by the province (€3 million), the national ministry of agriculture and nature (€800.000) and two anonymus gifts (together €750.000). Natuurmonumenten expects to be able to cover the remaining €1.5 million by letting the main building and coach house.

Not noticed by the local press: this means the seller does not only lose more than half the value he expected to receive 3.5 years ago, but he also helps the buyer to gradually cover for almost a quarter of the selling price by paying rent for the coach house he will be living in. Asked about his reasons to settle for this selling price, he declared to have wanted Natuurmonumenten to be the buyer, because he expects Natuurmonumenten to treat the estate with respect.
Natuurmonumenten is one of the largest nature preservation organisations in The Netherlands, which owns a lot of (former) estates. It has its head office on another estate in ‘s Graveland. Natuurmonumenten has a track record of aiming at natural values in particular, but with respect for the architectural history of the site (garden, park) as well. Jagtlust also fits in the local ecological structure (ecologische hoofdstructuur) that has been envisaged for this region by both the government and organistations concerned with the preservation of nature and natural values.

jagtlust-1815-jvanravenswaay.jpgJagtlust is a name given at a fairly late stage to a homestead which was first mentioned in 1660. In the course of the 18th century the homestead has been renamed a few times, and it was possibly used as an inn. Only in 1792 the homestead was upgraded to an actual estate with the name Jagtlust. Above we see Jagtlust as it was in 1815, on a drawing by local artist Jan van Ravenswaay. 1Source: www.kasteleninnoordholland.nl This view is supported by a photo on a postcard, taken by the end of the 19th century. In 1899 the estate was reconstructed exstensively into the building as it is now.

While Jagtlust boasts an elaborate orangerie since its reconstruction of 1899, there are (were) other interesting garden features on site. A greenhouse used for the cultivation of grapes was mentioned in 1824, and in 1865 a grotto was reported, which has survived to this day. 2H.G. Baas (ed.): Ontgonnen Verleden. Inzoomen op de historisch-geografische ontwikkeling van het Nederlandse landschap, 2001; p.103, nr. 318 There is also a dovecote, built in 1862, and a small (play)house for children, built in 1910. From 1992 onwards, Jagtlust has been restored by the architect Bob van Beek and the French decorator Michel Biehn. 3Source

Footnotes

Footnotes
1 Source: www.kasteleninnoordholland.nl
2 H.G. Baas (ed.): Ontgonnen Verleden. Inzoomen op de historisch-geografische ontwikkeling van het Nederlandse landschap, 2001; p.103, nr. 318
3 Source

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