Prins Hendriksoord

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

Description of complex component 4

LANDSCAPE PARK of Prins Hendriksoord, of which the actual layout extends exclusively to the southwest of the country house (rear side). In front of the country house, however, there are also a number of elements and structures which are interesting from a cultural-historical point of view and therefore also fall within the area to be protected. These are the large meadow between the Soestdijkerweg, the ditch in front of the house and the drive. The open meadow provides a clear view of the country house. Moreover, there is a sight line between the house of Prins Hendriksoord and that of the Ewijckshoeve which is guaranteed by the open character of the meadow. The ditch in front of the house is part of an old drainage ditch (Engelse Vaart) which crosses the entire grounds of the old Prins Hendriksoord. In the second layout of the landscape park, H. Copijn used this ditch as a connecting element in the large serpentine pond. An important structure is the course of the old Soestdijkerweg. This formerly ran directly alongside the country house of the Prins Hendriksoord after which it made a bend towards the northeast at the height of the gardener's cottage. The meadow mentioned above thus formerly lay on the other side of the Soestdijkerweg. Because the Soestdijkerweg and Maartensdijkseweg were straightened, part of the former road could be used as a drive. This situation still exists. The main entrance is situated on the southwest side where two gate pillars bearing the name of the estate mark the entrance. The lane runs past a car park (on the left) and runs close to the house in the direction of the small outbuilding. There is a junction there. The road to the left leads through the wooded part of the park and is a straight lane with mature beeches on either side. The lane ends at the rear entrance of Prins Hendriksoord on the Maartensdijkseweg, where two gate pillars mark the boundary. The lane which runs to the right in front of the gardener's cottage is the old Soestdijkerweg, surfaced with still original clinker bricks and planted with beeches in the verge. The lane leads to the present-day Soestdijkerweg where two gate pillars mark the boundary. The old Soestdijkerweg which formerly ran in front of the house can now only be recognised in two separate remnants by the row of old beeches. The park behind the house can be reached via a cast-iron bridge over the pond to the right of the house. From the bridge one can clearly see that the serpentine pond widens and winds towards the southwest. Along the pond lie grassy areas which are planted in places with solitary trees, including a striking weeping willow, rhododendrons and other shrub growth. The path after the bridge winds along the pond. The terrain is uneven in various places. A number of dead-end side paths lead to viewing points along the edge of the pond. The path ultimately leads to the beech lane described above which leads to the left towards the rear entrance and which to the right leads to the small outbuilding in timber-frame style. The pond continues for some distance to the southwest. This section, with the neo-architectural garden of Tersteeg, has been part of the grounds of the country estate Vijverhof since 1926. The continuation of the pond on the grounds of this estate is in accordance with the topographic map from 1989. The pond becomes narrower and a second bridge has been placed over this section. From the bridge there is a sight axis to the country house of Prins Hendriksoord. After walking another stretch in the northwest direction, the pond bends towards the south. In the bend lies a small island which is entirely overgrown with trees and shrubs. The pond runs alongside the new country house De Vijverhof, which falls outside the protection, as does the new wooden drawbridge which has been constructed here over the pond. After this bridge the waterway widens into a bowl-shaped pond. The pond then becomes narrow again and continues until it reaches the Engelse Vaart. The canal was partially filled in near the house De Vijverhof in 1926, as was part of the serpentine pond. The Engelse Vaart continues in a southwest direction but there is a branch of the serpentine pond which runs in a northwest direction. This branch of the pond sometimes has the appearance of a narrow ditch, while in other places the pond becomes somewhat wider. According to a map from 1926, it was originally a fairly wide, slightly winding pond. The pond then bends again towards the south and continues as a straight narrow ditch until it reaches the canal. Here the layout of the serpentine pond ends.

The layout of the terrain around the serpentine pond is characterised by mixed deciduous forests and coniferous forests through which old (beech) lanes run, some of which date from the first layout. The terrain is uneven in various places. To the southwest of the country house 'De Vijverhof', there is a star wood the layout of which is presumably recent.

Valuation of complex component 4

The extensive park of Prins Hendriksoord is of cultural-historical value because of its history of development as well as of architectural-historical importance as an example of a landscape-designed park from the beginning of this century. Also of considerable ensemble value because of its relationship with the opposite Ewijckshoeve.