Fort, vesting en -onderdelen, Kleizuwe Kortenhoef (Wijdemeren 27)

English translation

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Description

Cluster 13. Access bridge.

NEW HOLLAND WATERLINE

Introduction

ACCESS BRIDGE over the moat, as the means of access to Fort Kijkuit. The raising or removal / destruction of bridges has been a proven means of warding off intruders since ancient times. Not only was passage or crossing over a watercourse, a dry or wet moat or a terrain depression impeded or delayed in this way, but an attacker also had to provide the means to take the barrier themselves if necessary. Wooden bridges were relatively quick to destroy, if necessary by setting them on fire. Stone and concrete bridges required a greater and more time-consuming intervention, although an explosive charge could sometimes quickly produce the desired effect. With the advent of iron bridges - applied on a large scale in the course of the 19th century in many different variants - the second possibility remained, but the first disappeared. Blowing up bridges was capital destruction and only happened in extreme necessity. (Iron) bridges could be closed by removing or otherwise making (small) parts of them inaccessible. The iron access bridge to Fort Kijkuit, which is situated on the north-west side of the fort, has been restored. The current bridge is the successor to an example from 1844. Over the filled-in moat around the tower lay until 1880 a second, smaller bridge.

Description

ACCESS BRIDGE to Fort Kijkuit, consisting of a fixed and a removable part. The bank connection over the moat situated on the north-west side or gorge side of the fort measures approximately 13 x 3 m. The bridge lying on iron profile beams comprises a fixed part on the fort side and a moveable or removable part on the land side. The bridge originally dating from 1886 lies between the two bridge abutments on wooden saddles. The fixed part has an iron railing resting on seven posts with crossed connections with rosettes between them. The moveable part has posts with chains between them. The bridge deck is executed with wooden stringers. At the transition point between the two parts there is a pointed iron lattice fence (barrier) of angle profiles, which protrudes beyond the bridge profile on both sides.

Valuation

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Holland Waterline as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and first realised from 1815 by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others over approximately 125 years.

* Architectural-historical values in particular as an expression of military-strategic building science, which was based on and arose as a consequence of:

a. the system of inundation and access defence (19th century),

b. the race with increasingly strengthening offensive means (19th century)

This concerns here an expression of historical water engineering related to military-strategic building science, namely a closeable access bridge for military purposes.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the New Holland Waterline. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex.

* The component is representative (characteristic) because it is a good example of the application of this type of bridge.

* The component is fairly well preserved in form because essential parts are recognisable in form and function.