Waarnemingspost, Waaldijk 29

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

Cluster 73.

NEW HOLLAND WATER LINE

Introduction

A round TOWER A, executed in heavy masonry, which was the core and redoubt of the Fort at Vuren and which formed part of the closure and defence of the (river) access of the Waal and the northern Waal bank, as well as of ancillary waterworks. Towers on forts were built into the 1860s of the 19th century, beginning in the Napoleonic period; in the Netherlands - except for a few exceptions around 1810 - however only from around 1840 onwards, whereby the insights of military engineer J.G.W. Merkes van Gendt were directing. Dutch towers on forts usually have an approximately circular ground plan with a diameter of several tens of metres and were usually surrounded by a dry or a wet ditch. They are two, three or four storeys high and consist of heavy - several metres thick - masonry. The starting point was that the round shape was well resistant to impacts of cannon fire, while the defensive strength could be more or less equivalent in all directions. Through the deployment of far-reaching artillery on top of the towers - where the lookout was also located - one thought to be in a favourable defensive position. For near(er) defence, (numerous) loopholes for cannon and rifle fire served this purpose. Several towers were provided with an earthen covering, partly through which they were considered 'shell-proof'. Being shell-proof was a relative concept, which was related to the impact force of the fire at the time of construction. However, with the advent of artillery with rifled barrels and especially of bursting shells, it was over for the tower forts: they proved to be quite vulnerable after all, were relatively easy targets and thus lost their defensive capability within a few years. As a result, various towers were stripped of their highest storey(s) and provided with earthen protective banks, in the form of counterescarps, with or without a counterescarp gallery. What remained was their function as accommodation for troops and materiel. Well-known towers in the New Holland Water Line are those at Weesp, Fort Honswijk and the Fort at Vuren. Most towers are incorporated in earthen works and (wet) ditches surrounded earthen fort complexes, such as also that of the Fort at Vuren.

Description

On the west side of the southern part of the complex Fort at Vuren lies the TOWER A built on a circular ground plan - used as a lodging and storage building - which forms the core of the oldest construction. The tower was constructed in the years 1847-1849, after earthworks and a foundation had first been realised. The masonry of the facade is executed asymmetrically: the walls on the east side are approximately twice as thick as those on the west side. There are two storeys; during modernisation around 1875 the tower was lowered, whereby the battery and lookout were removed. On top of the structure is a metres-thick, more or less flat earthen covering. The tower has a diameter of approximately 40 m and is currently approximately 10 m high. Around the tower lay a ring-shaped, wet ditch, from which the facade rose directly; in the later modification this ditch was partially filled in and was replaced between tower and counterescarp gallery by an approximately 4 m wide, half-round running, open passage. The tower is provided all around with a limited number of loopholes of different type and size (mainly loopholes and arched cannon loopholes). The entrance, with a half-round relieving arch and with double wooden doors, is located on the west side.

A central, round space in the tower extends the full storey height and is enclosed by a dome-shaped roof with central opening. This tall, round space is surrounded by a broad corridor, which leads to the remaining, mostly segmental arch-vaulted spaces, such as sleeping rooms, living rooms and lavatories. Here, amongst others, doors, windows and stairs have been preserved.

Valuation

TOWER A of the Fort at Vuren is of general interest because of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Holland Water Line as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially from 1815 realised 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 construction, which is based on: a. the system of inundation and access defence (19th century), b. the race with strengthening offensive means (19th century).

This is a component from the period 1841-1864, namely an example of a tower on a fort at a river access, built according to the insights of military engineer J.G.W. Merkes van Gendt.

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

* The component is relatively rare because it is a good example of a tower which for military-strategic reasons was lowered and which furthermore was provided with a protective counterescarp gallery.

* The component is well preserved because numerous characteristic components in exterior and interior have been retained and remain recognisable.