Historische aanleg, Rijksstraatweg bij 247

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 component 2: HISTORICAL PARK AND GARDEN LAYOUT.

Introduction

The HISTORICAL PARK LAYOUT (2), which came into being in phases, dates mainly from the mid-18th century and the 19th century, but also contains 15th and 17th-century elements. The GARDEN LAYOUT in the New Architectural style southeast of the steward's house dates from the 1930s. Decisive for the layout is the originally medieval plot structure with drainage ditches (with the exception of the southeastern rectangle), one of which presumably led to the partly still recognizable broad rectangular castle moat. A second drainage ditch, functioning as a water avenue, forms the division between the late medieval rectangular area and the 18th-century addition to the southeast. From 1710 to 1733, according to a design by Daniel Marot, a formal garden layout with a geometric axis structure and hedges was created. The central scalloped pond in the southeastern rectangle is, like a number of watercourses in geometric style, a remnant of this. Between 1745 and 1770, while maintaining the then formal structure, with tree-lined avenues and water features, the straight avenues acquired a more flowing course and some vistas were created. The central water feature was excavated in a lobe shape and some slightly winding streams appeared. Little changed in this Early Landscape arrangement afterwards. However, around 1800 the landscape layout on the northwest side came into being, which was subsequently modernized in 1872 by L.P. Zocher, while part of the castle moat was also excavated in landscape style, connecting two elongated water features with each other.

Description

The terrain, almost entirely surrounded by drainage ditches, consists of two rectangles, of which the oldest, the northeastern rectangle, is slightly wider in the southeastern direction compared to the southwestern rectangle. From the original entrance to the castle, which ran over the most northeastern rectangular plot (meadow), the transverse axis running in the southwestern direction with bridge is still recognizable. The current 18th-century approach drive (from the Rijksstraatweg), surfaced with rubble, gravel and shells, is planted on both sides mainly with oaks. It leads to the rectangular forecourt with an oval lawn halfway across the Medieval rectangular terrain and divides it into two halves of unequal size. On the forecourt, along the coach house, stands a row of oaks and near the dairy a centuries-old (small-leaved) plane tree, presumably the oldest tree at Zuydwijk. Northeast of the garden wall situated along the forecourt lies a reconstructed formal kitchen garden, split in two by the former approach drive. The New Architectural garden layout southeast of the house is characterized by a raised masonry border and steps at the terrace paved with flagstones. The spacious lawn, bordered on three sides by permanent planting beds, offers a clear view of the meadows. On the southeastern side, after a narrowing, the lawn opens into an oval or round cabinet, almost entirely surrounded by heavily grown yew shrubs. Subsequently, a narrow path leads to a lawn with groups of rhododendrons, after which a white-painted wooden bridge provides a connection to the southern part of the park. The rectangular meadow directly southeast of the garden is bounded by a drainage ditch with a bowl-shaped bulge in the axis of the steward's house. The landscape park layout by Zocher northeast of the approach drive is an undulating terrain created by raised hills, over which, planted with oaks, a winding path pattern runs. The central element is the serpentine-shaped water feature, which is connected with the watercourses of the estate and by its shape appears larger than it actually is. Over the narrow section of the pond, with lawns on both sides, lies a simple white-painted wooden bridge. Southwest of the forecourt, the area around the partly excavated moat of the vanished castle has a landscape layout by Zocher. On the former castle terrain, planted with rhododendrons, there are, northwest of the castle moat, some groups of conifers, yews and some special trees and shrubs. Southwest of it are some remnants of a garden layout from the first half of the twentieth century, as well as an embankment. In the axis of the castle terrain runs a slightly curved oak-planted avenue in the southwestern direction. Southeast of it lies a large rectangular 18th-century formal path pattern, consisting of sunken moss paths flanked by oaks. An oak avenue running southeast/northwest divides the terrain in two, with in each part a rectangular pond lying in each other's extension. The most northern one has a narrow extension in the form of a winding watercourse in the northwestern direction. On the northeastern side, the terrain is bounded by two adjoining water features of unequal size, presumably two formal 18th-century water features, or drainage ditches, which are connected to the southeastern part of the castle moat. Northwest of the slightly curved oak avenue lies a wood with some winding paths. The most striking element is the elongated water feature running northeast/southwest (restored to its original form in 1988). The Medieval castle terrain is separated from the slightly narrower southwestern rectangle by a broad drainage ditch, flanked on both sides mainly by old avenue trees (beeches), with a turning area and dam with culvert. It is a rarely surviving example of a water avenue related to an approach drive. The formal axis and avenue structure of the southwestern rectangle is determined by the early 18th-century design by Marot. In its heart lies the water feature, which was converted to landscape style in the mid-18th century, with small trefoil-shaped ponds on the northeast and southwest sides. One path, diagonally oriented in the southern direction from the formal period, remains, as do two narrow rectangular-angled small water features in the northeastern part. Part of the early landscape style is still recognizable in the bushy vegetation (instead of hedges). Other recognizable elements are three winding streams, one of which runs from the large water feature in the southeastern direction, has an island and a vista towards the church tower of Voorschoten (as depicted in a print by La Farque). Walking paths run around the large water feature and along this stream, via the southeastern side of the terrain. Over the southeastern branch of the large water feature lies a white-painted wooden bridge.

N.B. The white wooden bridges are, given their age, of minor importance for protection.

Valuation

The historical park and garden layout at the historical country estate Zuydwijk is of general importance because of its great cultural-historical and horticultural value through still recognizable elements of the park layout from the 17th to the 20th century, including the 17th- and 18th-century formal layout with (drainage) ditches and avenues, the axis and avenue structure and water features of D. Marot, the late landscape style with the serpentine-shaped pond and the New Architectural garden style with masonry terraces and borders. As such, the park layout is valuable for the oeuvre of 18th-century architect D. Marot and 19th-century landscape architect L.P. Zocher.

From a horticultural-historical perspective, the mid-18th-century park layout, still recognizable in its main form, with early landscape watercourses and walking paths is of great importance as one of the oldest landscape parks in our country. As such, there is also a matter of considerable rarity value.

The park belonging to the historical country estate Zuydwijk is of importance from a landscape and urban planning perspective because of the recognizable situation of the wood in the flat polder landscape and as part of the Wassenaar country estate zone between Leiden and The Hague.