Historische aanleg, Historische Parkaanleg Dordwijklaan

English translation

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Description

Description component 1

HISTORIC PARK LAYOUT. The park layout in landscape style is composed around villa Dordwijk after design by the garden and landscape architect J.D. Zocher jr. and subsequently extended in three phases after design by C. Eggink, also in landscape style. The romantic park layout by Zocher from 1852 is bounded on three sides by a winding perimeter pond and on the side of the dike road by the field ditch (part of the original moat) with associated avenue planting and fencing. In this park layout the rectangular 17th-century core area around the 'castle farmhouse' is integrated and five radiating sight axes from villa Dordwijk are created. The first extension by Eggink (1854) took place on a part of the meadows on the east side, the second extension (the New Work from 1860) is laid out on the south side between the perimeter pond and the Achterweg. The third extension by Eggink is laid out around villa Sorghvliet on the west side (1892) between the present Randweg, Achterweg and former perimeter ponds.

Zocher's first circular walk, in landscape style, is connected by means of bridges over the former perimeter ponds with Eggink's second circular walk and runs in curves via winding paths that offer the walker at strategic locations surprising views of villa Dordwijk, orangery, gazebo, deer enclosure and Vlotbrug. The walk and vistas are framed by groups of trees, forest zones and semi-open avenue planting; the views of the open spaces, such as the deer enclosure and the meadows are given perspective through deliberately placed solitary trees and tree groups. Furthermore, the water feature branching in three directions, which broadens and narrows in ample curves and is provided with subtly convex bank profiles in connection with the micro-relief of the otherwise quite flat park floor, is an important motif in the park layout. This motif provides the walk with spatial dynamism. Originally the outer water features functioned as perimeter ponds of Zocher's park layout; the central water feature divides the park in winding fashion into two peninsulas.

From the entrance via the sunken lane with gate at the road bend a winding path leads eastward - via a frontal planting island behind the Hercules garden sculpture - to villa Dordwijk. After passage of the Kettingbrug the path accompanied by a yew hedge offers the walker a view over a small lancet-shaped park meadow with solitary trees that presumably date from the time of Zocher (including a Sequoia semper virens, plane tree and red beech); the open space is visually closed by a dark evergreen bosquet (with conifers), beyond which a direct view of the side and north facade of the villa follows. From villa Dordwijk the five sight axes are as follows: one in a south-easterly direction onto a group of trees in the meadow along Burg. Jaslaan; one onto the deer enclosure with two groups of trees (red beeches and horse chestnuts) and deer shelter; one onto the beginning of the forest path and a tree group contrasting in shape, colour and size (linden, horse chestnuts, acacias) of the dense planting island; one over the water onto the orangery with special trees (such as hornbeam, red horse chestnut, weeping beech and swamp cypress) and one onto the Tentbrug along the mammoth tree.

Via the Bloemenbrug the walk now continues to Eggink's first extension on the western part of the former meadow area, provided with winding path and forest zone (mixed deciduous trees, including oak and beech), to which eastward the remaining open meadow area borders with some long-established tree groups. In the north corner of this more or less rectangular meadow a concrete swimming pool with brick courses was constructed in 1929 on a specially prepared raised area and a hawthorn hedge planted in front along the west side, in deviation from the original open view. At the level of the west facade of the villa the walk branches with a gentle eastward curve to halfway along the deer enclosure, and leads partly through forest zones (with oak and beech), partly along semi-open avenue planting in winding fashion to the curved gazebo on the south side.

From this rustic gazebo the walker has a romantic view over the winding water feature, monumental beeches and deer enclosure with chestnut and beech group towards villa Dordwijk (which view is now partly overgrown) and the island long densely planted with mixed deciduous and coniferous trees on the west side, as well as onto the open meadow on the east side.

(Continuation of park layout description) The deer enclosure laid out in landscape style is split by the central watercourse into two parts from the outset and is surrounded by an iron fence from the period of construction with horizontal rails, which at increasing height are placed at ever greater distances from each other between the stiles. The two deer enclosure parts are connected via a simple raft bridge. The small, western part - intended as a refuge for the buck - is planted with a linden. The large, eastern part is long planted with wild chestnut trees and red beeches, for shading and for additional food provision for the fallow deer. Furthermore, the deer meadow contains a Gingko biloba, which creates a separate spatial effect in the meadow. In the SE corner is a rustic deer shelter.

In a westerly direction the walk is bounded by a water feature and a forest zone; the walker now has a view of villa Sorghvliet. The adjoining park layout at Sorghvliet, which is entirely aligned with that of Dordwijk and which near the villa contains a Quercus Frainetto, was designed by J.W. Eggink (son of Christoffel Eggink).

Before the boundary between Sorghvliet and Dordwijk the walk bends northward and leads in the direction of the orangery. On the east side the walk branches via the Vlotbrug to a forest area on the far side of the water (mixed deciduous and coniferous trees). Both the Vlotbrug - emphasized by a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulpiferum) - and the orangery function as important viewpoints in the park layout. To mark the orangery a solitary red beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea') and a weeping beech are planted.

From the orangery the walking path leads in the direction of the Tentbrug, where the path branches; on the west side are the utility gardens of the 'castle farmhouse' with greenhouse, garden wall, wall shed and fence. The courtyard was planted with walnut trees. Just south-west of the utility gardens lies the former kitchen garden, originally laid out with orchard in landscape style. On the far side of the Tentbrug the path leads back to the entrance of the country estate.

The villa Sorghvliet built in 1892 acquired its own driveway marked by an entrance gate which runs from the north corner of Dordwijk in a generous curve in a southerly direction to the house, with a turning circle, and which on the west side is provided with a single row of oaks and on the east side with a double row of oaks as avenue planting, ending with a chestnut group; near the house a solitary red beech. From the villa there is a long sight axis over the bridge to the New Work to the deer enclosure.

NW of villa Sorghvliet is the rectangular parcel of the former orchard, surrounded by a beech hedge. Along the field ditch at the Achterweg a willow avenue with beech hedge is planted.

The park layout of Dordwijk and Sorghvliet, although realized in different phases and designed by different garden architects, compositionally form a whole. Furthermore, an important characteristic is that the layout is entirely inward-facing and from the outset visually and spatially isolated from the - originally entirely open - surroundings by rows of trees and forest zones (with mixed deciduous and coniferous trees, including a row of pollard planes, beeches, oaks and chestnuts).

The country estate is bounded in the NE by Dordwijklaan (including the remaining avenue planting on the north-east side), on the south-east side by Burg. Jaslaan, on the south-west side by Achterweg and in the NW by the cycle path along the regional Rondweg 43. The associated avenue trees form part of the historic park layout, including the chestnuts on the far side of Dordwijklaan.