Historische aanleg, Zandpad 48

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

HISTORIC GARDEN AND PARK LAYOUT belonging to the country estate Gunterstein. Partly in structure and partly in detail a well-preserved layout in landscape style within a formal structure of avenues and watercourses. Visually defining for the layout is the seventeenth-century monumental axis on the house, consisting of a double row of old linden trees (19th century). The avenue has a visual narrowing at the end, as after WWII a poplar wood has been planted in the extension of the avenue in which a narrow sight line is spared. At the level of this woodland area the avenue makes a bend and runs as a winding path towards the Achterplaats. Through the axis effect, from the end of the avenue, the chimney tower on the house appears to be crowned by an obelisk-like crown, which in reality is the tower roof of the Dutch Reformed Church of Breukelen. The 17th-century classical structure of a main axis projected onto the house is reinforced by the symmetrically placed farm buildings on either side of the forecourt. In front of the forecourt a cross axis consisting of a chestnut and beech avenue, which with a bend runs around the Nieuwe Tuin and the Engelse Werk. Along the lime avenue lie successively from west to east, contained within the seventeenth-century moat structure: the triangular meadow next to the house; the moated park in landscape style (Nieuwe Tuin and Engelse Werk), a meadow with groups of trees and a landscape layout on the Achterplaats. The Engelse Werk has an early landscape layout with winding paths and a water basin. This layout probably dates from the end of the eighteenth century, as the picturesque garden house 'de rots' was built in 1793 (combination of a hermit's grotto and a children's playhouse, demolished in 1970). Following the design of the landscape architect Van Lunteren from 1849 the curved widening in the moat was executed and some paths in wide curves around an open space were laid out. To the west of this layout a modern garden section from 1935, called the Nieuwe Tuin, consisting of an open layout with some solitary trees and a circumambulating path. Adjoining the Engelse Werk, separated by a winding avenue (planting of Sessile Oak and Common Ash 1958), a broad strip of meadow. The meadow is arranged with groups of trees, dating from the early landscape period, to create depth effect. From the lime avenue, which forms the boundary on the north side, fine views on this open space with coulisse effect are designed. A winding avenue, part of the 'Belt walk' frames the meadow on the south side. With the purchase of the farmstead Boomrijk in 1832 a broad strip of meadow was added south of the country estate. For embellishment a winding avenue (outer avenue) was laid out with various tree plantings (Red Beech, Horse Chestnut, Plane and Linden). The round water basin in the formal layout of the Achterplaats was expanded by Copijn in 1865 into a winding pond. The layout of the Achterplaats has an enclosed character through the dense vegetation (elms) along the edges.

Valuation

HISTORIC GARDEN AND PARK LAYOUT belonging to the country estate of general importance:

- because of the well-preserved 17th-century formal moat and avenue structure;

- because of the 17th-century classical structure of the layout, consisting of a long sight line (main axis) projected perpendicular to the house, the forecourt with the symmetrically placed farm buildings and the main building;

- because of the different phases of layout in landscape style, namely the early landscape style (end of 18th century), the layout after the design of S.A. van Lunteren (1849) and Copijn (1865).