Fort, vesting en -onderdelen, Lunet aan de Snel Schalkwijk (Houten 26)

English translation

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Description

Cluster 60.

Lunet installation with earthworks, containing open caponnière, remains of gun emplacement sites, wet moat with outer banks, with (diversion and maintenance) roads and with zone indicated by boundary posts.

NEW HOLLAND WATERLINE

Introduction

LUNET INSTALLATION WITH EARTHWORKS, CONTAINING OPEN CAPONNIÈRE, REMAINS OF GUN EMPLACEMENT SITES, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS, WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH ZONE INDICATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS of the Lunet at the Snel as essential components of a small fort with various characteristic components in its design. The greatest length of the earthwork, including the open caponnière, measures approximately 225 m (east-west) and the greatest width approximately 170 m (north-south). Forts and comparable works were usually constructed on the basis of earth bodies prepared in advance, which served as a foundation and were meant to prevent subsidence in (a wet and soft) soil. In the construction of the works, besides this usually tactically 'pre-formed' earthwork - which in itself already had or could have a defensive role - a specific layout was also realised intended to increase defensive strength, ensure the safety of the garrison and facilitate internal and external transport and traffic. Thus, among other things, earth coverings were created for various structures to make them less vulnerable to enemy fire, earth ramparts that covered buildings and open areas and determined contours, covered accesses, paved paths and parade grounds. Around the earthwork came - if possible - a wet moat, while the works were usually surrounded by a military boundary, which was indicated with boundary posts. A (moveable) bridge usually crossed the moat - various types occur - but sometimes there was a fixed bank connection, for example in the form of a dam, which could be part of the road system. An iron bridge from 1871 which at the Lunet at the Snel lay in line with the access across the Inundation Canal here coinciding with the moat has been replaced by a dam. Also two similar but smaller iron bridges, which connected the throat side of the lunet with the maintenance road along the east side of the Inundation Canal, no longer exist, but the abutments are still recognisably present.

Description

LUNET INSTALLATION WITH EARTHWORKS, CONTAINING OPEN CAPONNIÈRE, REMAINS OF GUN EMPLACEMENT SITES, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS, WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH ZONE INDICATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS of the Lunet at the Snel. The Lunet at the Snel now consists mainly of a roughly triangular, asymmetrical earthwork with various levels, of which the outer slope on the north side has a rounded form and on the east and south sides is sharply angular in boundary. Around this lies an approximately heart-shaped bounded wet moat. The earthworks enclose the fort terrace almost entirely (only not at the Inundation Canal), while the open caponnière is also covered with earthworks. The caponnière or covered access runs from the Inundation Canal west of the lunet to the throat side of the work. The bomb-proof building has an earth covering. The main form of the lunet still reflects the most important historical-spatial characteristics and structures. The boundary of the installation coincides in principle with that of the (formerly) pole-indicated area. This zone, over which the Ministry of War had authority or the Military State Land, is indicated on the accompanying map.

Valuation

The LUNET INSTALLATION WITH EARTHWORKS, CONTAINING OPEN CAPONNIÈRE, REMAINS OF GUN EMPLACEMENT SITES, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS, WITH (DIVERSION AND MAINTENANCE) ROADS AND WITH ZONE INDICATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS of the Lunet at the Snel is of general importance by reason of:

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

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

These are components from the period 1845-1846 and 1871-1879 which are examples of an earth installation with moat, banks, roads and military zone.

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

* The component is representative because it shows various phases in the development of large-scale access defence in a virtually undamaged physical environment.

* The component is reasonably well preserved because it, despite a later addition, is in readily recognisable condition.