Historische Tuin-en Parkaanleg

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

The HISTORIC GARDEN AND PARK LAYOUT originates from the eighteenth century. In the current garden and park layout, this eighteenth-century structure is still recognisable. Originally, the house De Wiersse was surrounded by square inner and outer moats and was located north of the Baakse Beek. Presumably around 1651 the stream north of the house was diverted, for the benefit of a water mill that no longer exists. In the first half of the eighteenth century, a driveway was laid out along the north-south axis of the house. Several other lanes still in existence (parallel, perpendicular and diagonally positioned to this lane) also date from this period. East of the house lay a formal, regularly laid out garden. Two garden sculptures still in existence ('Summer' and 'Autumn') were part of this garden. During the period 1795-1833, in the time of Ludolph van Heeckeren, the formal layout was transformed into a more picturesque layout. The carp ponds were enlarged and provided with irregular banks and on the so-called "pleasure grounds" winding paths were laid out, and at the same time hillocks were raised and peninsulas created. This area is still recognisable and is called the "wild garden". In 1841-44 the driveway changed shape. The long straight rows of trees were replaced by three irregular groups of still-existing oaks, beeches and American oaks and the lane was provided with a bend. In the second half of the nineteenth century the house and gardens fell into disrepair. It is presumed that the garden east of the house had already been converted to a vegetable and flower garden before this time. Around 1870, L.P. Zocher and C.E.A. Petzold made far-reaching plans for alterations to house and garden, which were however not executed. In 1907 the driveway, which had been somewhat winding since 1844, was straightened again and extended, according to the presumed eighteenth-century line. In 1912 the daughter of Victor de Stuers, Alice, designs the still-existing parterre with boxwood and roses ("rose parterre" or "rose garden") east of the house, which was later mirrored by Alice at De Stuers' insistence. The sunken garden ("low garden") also laid out at this time is surrounded by planted borders. The design for this garden was influenced by the then prevailing Italian-English style. From 1918 onwards, W.E. Gatacre (later husband of Alice de Stuers) visits De Wiersse regularly and will give the estate within its existing character the still-existing structure. Gatacre enriches the layout with romantic views and gives the whole an underlying structure: the farms 'De Berenpas' and 'De Nijhof' located within the layout are incorporated and largely concealed from view through ingenious planting. Moreover, many rhododendrons are planted, to create surprising effects in the different parts of the garden, as well as many native and some exotic tree species. In the sight line to the west, suggestive planting is used. Through the coulisse effect, a broad and grand open park appears to have been laid out here, while the available space is in fact limited. The sunken garden behind the house was used as a parterre from 1921 to 1928. The contours are still present, as are the natural stone steps from 1921. The sight line directed to the north is also laid out with the help of a series of coulisses. The so-called "tennis garden" has an enclosed character and lies beside the former tennis court, over which the hedgerow winds. In the south-east of the layout lies the vegetable garden, which was laid out at this location around 1914. The garden and park layout features various paving forms: clinker paths and roads, unpaved paths, granite boulder roads, gravel roads and tile paths alternate and are provided at a few places with simple cart bridges designed by W.E. Gatacre from 1920. The garden and park layout is also provided with various facilities related to the regulation of the water management, consisting of ditches, moats and ponds: thus among other things various inlets and outlets, some of which are provided with sluices, revetments and culverts are present. Simple fencing and wooden gates designed by W.E. Gatacre after the English model around 1920 stand around the meadows. Within the layout, in addition to all garden ornaments included as complex components, the 'fountain' composed of presumably eighteenth-century natural stone fragments, which was excavated in parts in the garden in 1998, is of importance. The tableau made of wood in the form of a 'rider on horseback' was made around 1985 and based on a drawing by Cornelis Troost and the swing and seesaw (after the example of Gijsbert van Laar) from the same period fall outside national protection due to insufficient age.

The HISTORIC GARDEN AND PARK LAYOUT belonging to the historic country estate De Wiersse is of general importance:

- as a rare and representative example of an originally eighteenth-century layout in formal style which in particular in the first quarter of the twentieth century acquired its current structure and character in an Italian-English style;

- because of the importance of the layout for the history of garden and landscape architecture;

- because of the eighteenth-century structure, preserved in good condition in some parts also in detail;

- because of the functional-spatial relationship with the other components of the country estate.