Historische aanleg, Rijksweg bij 134

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

HISTORICAL PARK AND GARDEN LAYOUT. The garden layout of Beeckestijn must be spatially distinguished into a so-called formal or geometric garden behind the house and a younger landscape section extending from it. Of both parts, the rear section is the most important because the layout is one of the earliest of its kind in the Netherlands, and moreover - in contrast to the associated formal part - in the more than two hundred years that have passed since its creation, has undergone virtually no structural changes.

Few images of the formal garden dating from the 17th century are available; the Nieuwe kaart van 't Baljuwschap van Kennmerland from 1720 gives only an impression of the size, the location of the buildings and the layout with one main axis (perpendicular to the later Rijksweg) and one cross axis, creating a division into four rectangular sections. The map and both images in "Zegepralend Kennemerland" from 1728 subsequently provide some insight into the considerable expansion of the estate on the west side, as well as the straightening of the boundary on the north and south sides; important is the construction of a pond, dated August 1719 with a scalloped edge, on a new cross axis, parallel to the already existing axis, and of two long diagonal paths (possibly avenues); through these paths or avenues a star is created with the pond at its centre. A dry basin - with a similar shape to the pond - is also constructed directly behind the house. Of these elements the following are preserved in the next period: the central axis and sight line in the longitudinal direction with the pond on it and the cross axes.

In the mid-18th-century layout there is still mention of main and cross axes, along which clipped hedges and berceaus are found, with the pond at the intersection of the axes. The pond was re-mortared during restoration in the years 1959-1969. The structure of this formal or geometric layout ends on the west side at an earthen embankment parallel to the cross axes. In 1755 a maze was possibly constructed in the front part in the second section on the left, and in the third section at the end of the formal garden a so-called goosefoot, consisting of two diagonal avenues from the middle of the embankment to the south and north boundary; the long diagonal avenues with the pond as intersection point must disappear before this. Of this goosefoot the avenue on the right side still remains intact; the planting consists of beech trees; the avenue on the left side was reconstructed in 1965 and replanted. A winding path is constructed north of the right diagonal avenue, as well as an undulating path along the north boundary of the formal garden; this undulating path no longer exists today.

A - more or less - diagonally running path is designed for the rear section on the right in the section acquired in 1755, from the northeast corner to the southwest side, with a circular section in the middle; this path was reconstructed in 1965.

There is more documentation about the extremely important changes that take place from 1772 onwards. The designer of these changes, the landscape architect J.G. Michael (1738-1800), had a drawing made, which was later distributed and preserved as an engraving, on which the new landscape layout and new buildings are shown. It can be seen that the formal layout is respected and only partially filled in with a form of garden layout and planting previously unknown in the Netherlands; this concerns the - viewed from the house - rear sections on the left side of the formal layout, where narrow winding paths are now created in lawns between flowering shrubs (so-called English work). In the first section on the left a round water basin is created; in the second section on the left a maze remains consisting of narrow winding paths through dense planting. The water basin has been replaced, from the maze only the overgrown planting and undergrowth remain; the winding paths between flowering shrubs are no longer present today.

In the rear section acquired in 1755 Michael creates a landscape layout which is so remarkable for the Netherlands at that time. His client Jacob Boreel visits England on official business for an extended period; it is generally assumed that he formed the idea there to have an English landscape garden laid out on his own estate as well. Researchers mention as possible English examples Stowe, Kew Gardens as well as Wimpole. On the land a large part - more than half - is designated for open cultivated land, where grain would then be sown; this part is now a meadow; along this large L-shaped grain field, which extends on the left side of the rectangle from top to bottom, and also partly to the right, runs an undulating narrow path which is planted on the southern outer side mainly with field maple and on the east side of the cultivated land with only a few large trees or tree groups. With this alternation between open and densely wooded spaces surprising vistas are created. The right side of the rectangle has as its main components the stream which runs from the west side across the middle of the newly acquired section; for this the previously straight bed is presumably shifted to the right already before 1759 and widened in some places into a pond; the course is executed winding as much as possible. Furthermore a second smaller grain field is designed at the boundary of which a hermitage is placed, around which also winding narrow paths run. The meadow and grain field are preserved only as open spaces; the planting of the circle with oaks was reconstructed in 1977; the surrounding wood consists of oaks which are approximately 80 years old. In the extension of the central axis of the formal garden an avenue is also drawn - likewise in the middle of the landscape section - with coniferous and deciduous trees as planting; at the end of this avenue stood the colonnade, which incidentally was already present in 1768. Of the avenue perhaps a few trees remain, the colonnade has disappeared.

On the engraving of 1772 various buildings are shown at the edge; at the bottom the front and rear facades of the main building, and in the upper left corner the architect's house (front and side facade), the hermitage, the chapel/gardener's cottage (side and front facade), and the colonnade. Both the hermitage and the colonnade were presumably no more than painted screens. Of the buildings the architect's house, the hermitage and the colonnade are no longer present; the gardener's cottage has undergone some changes at the entrance among others, where previously a canopy was present.

The cadastral minute plan shortly after 1818 shows what has been changed and what has been preserved; the first section on the left of the main axis, where Michael drew a menagerie, has received the round basin (which was later replaced) and an orangery (which was demolished after 1954); the maze is described as wood, and may still have been present then; the rear left section before the embankment has become part of the landscape layout, the diagonal is no longer provided with avenue planting. In 1965 the avenue planting on this diagonal was restored. To the right of the central axis lies in 1818 in the first section presumably still the round flower bed (with an orchard behind it); in the second section on the right the planting of the slanting avenue to the pond had (presumably) disappeared; the former tree nursery was still present; in the third section the diagonal (of the goosefoot) with planting was preserved and the winding wood, to the right of it, likewise; the left part may possibly have been designated as meadow.

Of the formal layout not only the main and cross axes remain, but also the hedges which are located at a considerable distance from the main axis - behind the four rows of broad obliquely diverging linden planting - between the house and the pond. The avenue along the south side is no longer present on the cadastral minute plan of 1818 and has been replaced by a meadow and tree groups. The land has been considerably enlarged on that side by then; these grass fields are now used for day recreation. Behind the southern coach house was a vegetable garden.

The rhododendrons standing in the first part behind the house are from a much younger planting, presumably on the advice of L.A. Springer; the still existing avenue in the third section on the right of the central axis is also presumably replanted at the beginning of the 20th century; it appears on the advice of Springer, who mapped the garden layout in 1936, as did that on the central axis, far behind the embankment in the direction of the colonnade, where only a few trees now remain.

Of all avenue planting the avenue on the north side with double oak rows (in the western part these are old linden trees) is still the most complete; however, the trees were replanted in the twenties of the 20th century; also on the northwest side an oak avenue from that period is found. In general the trees are not of exceptional great age, even though scattered old specimens of deciduous trees are present; the majority consists of native trees; through self-seeding in a number of sections the structure has become less clear.

The linden trees in front of the first sections of the formal garden were planted during the restoration in 1966. On the cross axis between the first and second sections stand in the avenue on the right side double oaks, 6 m apart in width and 9 m in length along the avenue; on the left side double oaks stand first and then double beeches in square pattern 7 m apart; both avenues are presumably replanted in 1943. The old oak avenue on the north boundary, which was replanted between 1910 and 1920, has a double oak row with spacing of 8 m width and 14 m length; the still existing diagonal in the third section on the right is presumably planted shortly after 1936 with both oaks and beeches; the beech avenue behind the pond is presumably likewise double planted shortly after 1936 with beeches with planting distances of 6 m in width and 9 m in length; both avenues appear on the design by L.A. Springer. The linden trees behind the main building were replanted after restoration; on each side there are four trees standing next to each other, they stand in triangular pattern. The linden trees around the water basin of 1719 as well as the lindens in the avenue to the right of this basin, and the oaks on the left, were planted in 1967. Behind both coach houses after 1959 on the right an herb garden and some fruit trees were planted and on the left a formal garden and a rose garden were reconstructed. Standard lindens have been placed in front of the coach houses. Between the main building and the coach houses a sunken round lawn with narrow flower beds has been created.

Scattered across the land are still three bunkers from the Second World War; these are obviously of no significance for the protection.