Fort Vechten

English translation

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Description

Cluster 42.

Introduction

FORTIFICATION WITH EARTHWORK AND MAIN RAMPART, CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) GUN EMPLACEMENTS, FLANK AND REVERSE BATTERIES AND REMISES, WITH TERREPLEIN, GLACIS CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) TRENCHES, MOATS WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH A ZONE ORIGINALLY MARKED BY BOUNDARY MARKERS as basic components of a closed defensive work. The Fort at Vechten is a fort belonging to the New Holland Water Line, of the bastard system - that is a crossing between the polygonal and the bastioned system - and it is provided with characteristic earthen and embanked components. Forts and comparable works were usually constructed on the basis of pre-applied earthen bodies, which served as a foundation and were intended to prevent subsidence in (a wet and soft) soil. In the construction of the works, apart from this usually tactically 'pre-formed' earthen body - which in itself already performed or could perform a defensive role - a specific layout was also realised which was intended to increase defensive strength, ensure the safety of the garrison and facilitate internal and external transport and traffic. Thus, among other things, earthen coverings were created for various structures, to make them less vulnerable to enemy fire, earthen ramparts that covered buildings and open areas and determined the contours, covered approaches, paved paths and parade grounds. The earthworks were constructed on ground plans that differed greatly from each other, often with one or more bastions, which could also differ in form. Around the earthen body came - where possible - a wet moat. Over the moat lay usually a (partly removable) bridge - various types exist - but sometimes a fixed bank connection existed, for instance in the form of a dam. Bridge or dam can form part of the road system. Along the outer side of the moats lay often a road or path, which could be laid out both in the form of a covered way, as well as level with or even above ground level. These roads or paths could have different functions, ranging from public road to maintenance path, and also from military covered way to exclusive access road to the fort. Outside the wet moat there is moreover often a zone (from of old and still in part) marked with boundary markers as such, over which the Ministry of War had authority, the Military State Land. The Fort at Vechten does not differ in principle from this general picture; however, the mirror-image symmetrical, five-lobed ground plan and the applied redoubt or last defensive point, as well as the system of flank and reverse batteries for near defence, are rare. The main work is surrounded by a moat, which divides at the redoubt into a smaller ring moat. In the main rampart, small concrete works have been placed at several points, including cast-steel domed casemates. The terreplein is crossed by paths and is partly planted with trees.

Description

FORTIFICATION WITH EARTHWORK AND MAIN RAMPART, CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) GUN EMPLACEMENTS, FLANK AND REVERSE BATTERIES AND REMISES, WITH TERREPLEIN, GLACIS CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) TRENCHES, MOATS WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH A ZONE ORIGINALLY MARKED BY BOUNDARY MARKERS of the Fort at Vechten, which has been designed according to the so-called bastard system and was constructed in 1867-1870. The work is oriented with its front towards the south-east. The earthwork consists on the front side of a main bastion or front bastion located on the main axis, which has a rounded triangular form. The front bastion is flanked by two side bastions, likewise of comparable ground form. On and in these are among other things gun emplacements, flank batteries and remises. The gorge side (north-west) of the fort is characterised by a redoubt located on the main axis of the front bastion, which is surrounded by a moat that branches off from the main moat. North-west of the redoubt a, within the main moat, almost semi-circular earthwork with talus from which the bridges could be swept with gunfire. In the middle the earthwork is crossed by a coupure, one of the previously three entrances to the fort. On the north and south-west corner of the fort lie so-called gorge bastions, which are rectangular in form. In the earthwork emplacements for fixed guns have been placed. These are mainly the result of alterations around 1880, when the fort was provided with a bomb-proof barracks. Most emplacements can still be recognised, but of other (earthen) works, such as trenches, remains or traces may also still be found. In the earthwork lie various remises, flank batteries and other types of structures, which are usually described in more detail as component parts.

Valuation

FORTIFICATION WITH EARTHWORK AND MAIN RAMPART, CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) GUN EMPLACEMENTS, FLANK AND REVERSE BATTERIES AND REMISES, WITH TERREPLEIN, GLACIS CONTAINING (REMAINS OF) TRENCHES, MOATS WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH A ZONE ORIGINALLY MARKED BY BOUNDARY MARKERS are of general interest by reason of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Holland Water Line, as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and in its original execution from 1815 by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus, and subsequently by others strengthened and improved for approximately 125 years.

* Military-historical values as part of a continuous military defence line between the former Zuiderzee and the Biesbosch. This consisted mainly of a coherent system of inundation fields and associated inundation means and fire zones. This system was supplemented with various types of built or constructed (defensive) works dating from different periods which served to or contributed to the closure of non-inundatable areas or other accesses.

* Architectural-historical values, in particular as an expression of military-strategic building design, which was based - on the system of inundation and access defence (19th century) - on the race with the increasingly powerful offensive means (19th century).

This is a complex from the period 1867-1886 which formed part of the second fortification circle around Utrecht. The complex is also of great architectural-historical value as a rare example of a complete fort of the bastard system - a crossing of the polygonal and the bastioned system.

* Ensemble value and situational values by reason of its location within the system of the New Holland Water Line in general and also by reason of the functional and physical coherence between the components of the complex. Finally, there is here a well-preserved relationship of the earthworks with the fire zone.

* Archaeological values by reason of the possibly still present remains and traces of trenches, emplacements and other works.

* The component part is representative (characteristic) because it still exhibits the physical features and the most important (environmental) features that at the time gave rise to its construction.

* The component part is fairly well preserved because in terms of structure and physical appearance the essentials of the condition in the 1880s have been preserved.