Fort, vesting en -onderdelen, Betonnen werken tussen het werk op de Spoorweg a/d Diefdijk Geldermalsen (West Betuwe 25)

English translation

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Description

Cluster 66.

NEW HOLLANDSE WATERLINIE

Introduction

PUMP STATION DE OUDE HORN WITH INUNDATION, WEIR AND DRAINAGE SLUICE, as a combined civil and military hydraulic engineering work of rare value. The defence system of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie was primarily based on the controlled flooding of (large) terrain areas. Controlled inundation required an ingenious system of waterworks, such as sluices, weirs and canals, with which the necessary water level could be quickly set and maintained within narrow limits. Many different types of sluices were used, depending on their location in the system. Sometimes already existing navigation, drainage or weir sluices were used, but many new ones were also built or existing ones were (substantially) modified. Sometimes local water level differences between individual polder units had to be fixed or bridged by incorporating or using weir sluicelets in existing embankments or dykes. For this purpose, schotbalk (stanchion) closures were often used in channels or even in embankment cuts, but also so-called verlaten (shutters) with wooden or iron lifting gates or culverts with sluice gates were employed for this purpose. In the case of the sluice next to pump station De Oude Horn, it concerns an inflow/intake sluice and weir sluice through which water from the Linge could be brought to the Kuilenburgsche Vliet (Culemborgse Vliet) and thus to the Vijfheerenlanden. In fact, there were two sluices located close behind one another, one near the mouth of the Vliet and one on the west side next to the pump station. The intake and weir sluice at the mouth of the Vliet, which served as protection for the pump station, was removed in the 1970s during the construction of a road on the dam across the Vliet. The still existing sluice next to the pump station functioned as an inundation and weir sluice for the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. This sluice now no longer performs any hydraulic function.

The regulation of water levels in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie or the final discharge of water sometimes also required the use of a steam or motor-driven pump station. At several locations pump stations were accordingly used or adapted for this purpose: sometimes to raise the water level, but also to lower it - particularly after the end of any inundations. A fairly rare example of the latter was the steam and later motor-driven pump station De Oude Horn, east of Leerdam. This pump station, built from 1857, provided drainage via the Kuilenburgsche Vliet and a no longer existing sluice for part of the Vijfheerenlanden until 1962. The direct significance of the pump station for the functioning of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie was relatively minor, but for the associated water level reductions it was of course important. The former polder pump station De Oude Horn was taken into operation in 1859 as a steam pump station. The pump station has an iron scoop wheel as a lifting device and can be classified among steam pump stations of type 1, whereby the different functions of the pump station were housed in clearly distinguishable building volumes (PIE category classification). The steam installation was replaced by a suction gas engine in 1920. The iron scoop wheel was retained and is still present; it represents rare value. The building is further notable for its roofing with Oegstgeester tiles. The main form of the pump station is in important respects in original condition, but the machinery that drove the pump station has disappeared. The building has been in use as a glassblowing workshop since 1978. Due to a background of tall vegetation and bordering an ample basin, the structure is markedly situated in the landscape. In 2011, a major restoration of the ensemble took place, whereby the pump station underwent major maintenance and the sluice - after being completely drained - was restored and provided with two new wooden gates.

Description

The ensemble of PUMP STATION DE OUDE HORN WITH INUNDATION, WEIR AND DRAINAGE SLUICE consists of adjacent hydraulic engineering works from the third quarter of the 19th century with a function for the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie.

Pump station De Oude Horn east of Leerdam is built on a composite ground plan and consists of three building volumes placed against one another, clearly distinguishable from each other and of different sizes, in which originally separate functions were housed. The two eastern volumes are aligned in line with each other, the third volume is placed transversely and has an iron scoop wheel on its west facade. The two western building blocks are erected on a substructure with two openings. The highest, central building block has a gabled roof, the remaining blocks are covered by hipped roofs. All roof surfaces are covered with Oegstgeester tiles. In the roof panels are diamond-shaped roof windows (in the western roof panel of the western building block, and in both roof panels of the central building block). All building blocks have a black-painted continuous, moulded rainwater gutter. The white-painted facades have a black-painted plinth, and are constructed in brickwork, laid in English bond. Within the facades mainly round-arch ended windows are used, with a slightly projecting surround.

The eastern building block, the block that directly adjoins solid land, is covered by three hipped roofs with the ridge direction transverse to that of the central building block. On the westernmost roof panel a white plastered slender chimney is placed. The facades of the eastern volume are articulated by means of pilasters. Between the pilasters are large semicircular windows with fan-shaped glazing bars. In the east facade the pilasters are partly removed and a sliding door has been placed on the left of the facade. On the right is a semicircular window. The south facade has in each bay a large semicircular window. The north facade has on the left two semicircular windows, but in the central bay the window functions as a fanlight to double opening commercial doors. On the right of the facade is a tall door. The part of the west facade to the left of the connection with the central building block contains a steel door with glass block fanlight to an electrical room.

Of the tall and narrow central building block the north facade has a shallow and lower lean-to under a three-sided roof. In this facade are two tall standing round-arch windows, which have no surround, which may indicate a (slightly) later placed lean-to. In the south facade is a large standing round-arch window with iron glazing bars. Similar windows are also found in the gable walls of the building block.

The third building block is placed transversely against the central block and protrudes slightly on both sides. In the narrow north and south facades is a large, standing round-arch window. Against the broad west facade the iron scoop wheel is placed.

The interior has largely retained its layout. However, the technical installation has disappeared. Among the preserved interior components are a red-yellow tile floor, with recesses where the machines stood, furthermore black, beige and green glazed wall tiles and a number of original panel doors, some with panes. The roof truss structure includes, among other things, heavily constructed wooden truss beams.

The INUNDATION, WEIR AND DRAINAGE SLUICE, west of pump station De Oude Horn, is a small brick sluice with two heads ending in natural stone coping with schotbalk recesses and between the heads (remains of) wooden pointed gates. The width between the heads is approximately 4 m; the heads end on both sides in sloping, (projecting) wing walls, which are related to components belonging to the pump station. The sluice stands virtually dry amid two wet basins and was in a state of decay anno 2010, but was thoroughly restored, rebuilt and provided, among other things, with new wooden gates in 2011. The sluice presumably dates from shortly before 1860, when the pump station was also established, and served primarily as an intake and weir sluice for the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. East of this open sluice an enclosed passage and immediately against the pump station a third, much narrower watercourse, the outlet which belongs to the scoop wheel of the pump station. This part and the wheel also underwent restoration.

Valuation

PUMP STATION DE OUDE HORN WITH INUNDATION, WEIR AND DRAINAGE SLUICE is of general importance because of

* Cultural-historical values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially implemented 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 building related to military-strategic engineering, which is based on the system of inundation and access defence (19th century).

This concerns an expression of civil historical hydraulic engineering related to military-strategic building, namely a pump station with an attached combination of inundation, weir and drainage sluice, presumably from shortly before 1860.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex and as an ensemble of pump station De Oude Horn and sluice works nearby and as part of one of the water intakes of the Linge.

* The component is representative (characteristic) because it is an early example of a steam pump station with sluice works with functions within the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and the component represents rare value because there are not many (steam) pump stations in such a combined function in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. The component also represents rare value because of the still present (external) scoop wheel.

* The entire component is reasonably well preserved because the main form, building detailing and various elements are clearly recognizable, and because - particularly the sluice works - after having been in a state of building neglect - have undergone thorough restoration.