Fort, vesting en -onderdelen, Fort bij het Steurgat Werkendam (Altena 30)

English translation

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Description

Cluster 82.

Introduction

FORTIFIED WORK CONSISTING OF FORT ISLAND WITH (REMAINS OF) EARTHWORKS, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS ON WHICH REMAINS OF MAINTENANCE PATH AND ACCESS ROAD AND ZONE OF MILITARY STATE LAND DESIGNATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS as basic components of the Complex Fort at the Steurgat. Forts were usually constructed on the basis of pre-installed earth bodies that served as a foundation and were intended to prevent subsidence in (wet and soft) soil. In the construction of the forts, besides this usually already tactically 'pre-formed' earth body - which in itself could already fulfil a defensive role - specific installations were also realised which were intended to increase defensive strength, ensure the safety of the garrison and facilitate internal and external transport and traffic. In this way, among other things, earth coverings were created for various structures to make them less vulnerable to enemy fire, earth ramparts which protected buildings and open areas and determined the contours, and paved paths and parade grounds. Forts were usually surrounded by one or more wet or dry moats to impede any approach to the rampart or fort grounds for as long as possible. Forts were usually only accessible via one or more bridges or via a narrow isthmus. Where for waterway management or other reasons a permanent direct connection between internal and external areas existed, it was designed in such a way that it could not or only with great difficulty be crossed. Along the outer side of the moats there was often a road or path, which could be laid out in the form of a covered way, but also at or even above ground level. These roads or paths could have various functions, ranging from public road to maintenance path, and also from military covered way to exclusive access route to the fort. Outside the wet moat there is furthermore often a zone (from time immemorial and still partly) marked as such by means of boundary posts over which the Ministry of War had authority, the Military State Land. The Fort at the Steurgat was no exception to this general picture, but it was a fort which lay in a solitary position and moreover in non-inundatable terrain and was therefore relatively vulnerable. The Fort at the Steurgat was accessible on the north-west side via a partially removable iron bridge over the moat, but this was later replaced by an embankment. Around the year 2000 a rough timber replica of the bridge was built, which does not fall under the protection.

The ramparts were - presumably already before the war - partly levelled, but especially in the northern part - in more recent times and in simplified form - restored and in the western part reconstructed. In the southern part restructuring took place on the basis of a simplified form via several earth-covered residential units (so-called rampart dwellings; not protected) and via garage boxes added to the complex in the style of the existing fort structures, likewise earth-covered (not protected). All restored, reconstructed and newly installed earthworks and the positioning and form of the apartments recall the former enclosure of the fort grounds. Besides this, the former parade ground has been partly arranged with some new functions, including (earth-covered) parking spaces. The earth covering of the two large structures has been partly removed to provide more interior space in the buildings. In the case of the barracks this meant the addition of an extra storey at the location of the originally many metres thick earth layer, while on the front elevation the original earth covering was filled in by glass facades which 'reflect' the shape of the covering. The facades on the gorge sides have been maintained. On top of the barracks, not an earth but a functional (concrete) covering has been applied. At the remise a - partly composed of different material - 'quasi-earth' covering has been applied. This latter also applies to some apartments built in the taluses of the southern outer rampart. The apartments and a number of garage boxes in this structure are built on the interior in the style of the fort by providing them with a facade with arched openings. The earthworks located at various locations within the rampart structure do not belong to the original construction. On the south side the apartments have mainly glass facades and brick retaining walls have been built. A concrete cut-off with shutter-bar slots in the rampart (near the current access bridge) does not belong to the original construction, but may be a displaced element from the pre-war years. The new additions to the work - in particular the built elements in the southern fortification rampart (the rampart dwellings and garage boxes etc.) - do not fall under the protection.

Description

FORTIFIED WORK CONSISTING OF FORT ISLAND WITH (REMAINS OF) EARTHWORKS, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS ON WHICH REMAINS OF MAINTENANCE PATH AND ACCESS ROAD AND ZONE OF MILITARY STATE LAND DESIGNATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS of the Complex Fort at the Steurgat. The construction of the fort dates from the period 1881-1882. The fort island is five-sided and slightly asymmetrical. Of the formerly continuous ramparts, both northern flanks are mainly preserved in the condition of the fort around 1945 and have been restored in the western part.

Central to the site is a large bombproof structure that served as accommodation for personnel and material, the barracks. A second bombproof building is located on the south-west side or front side of the barracks with the facade on the gorge side - facing the barracks. The five-sided moat of the Fort at the Steurgat is completely present and forms an ample framework for the layout of the work. Partly along and around the moat lie respectively the access road and a still somewhat recognisable maintenance path, which is located slightly above ground level, as well as a tree-lined avenue. The zone originally marked as such with boundary posts (presumably not preserved) over which the Ministry of War had authority, the Military State Land, is indicated on the map attached to this decision.

Valuation

The FORTIFIED WORK CONSISTING OF FORT ISLAND WITH (REMAINS OF) EARTHWORKS, WET MOAT WITH OUTER BANKS AND ON IT REMAINS OF MAINTENANCE PATH AND ZONE OF MILITARY STATE LAND DESIGNATED BY BOUNDARY POSTS of the Fort at the Steurgat are of general importance because of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Holland Water Line as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially realised from 1815 onwards by him, Jan Blanken and Major-Engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others for more than 125 years.

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

The component is an example of an earth installation from the period 1881-1882, with remains of ramparts, moating, access and diversion roads and a military zone marked from time immemorial by means of boundary posts; it contains relics of earth coverings of structures with different functions.

* Ensemble value and situational values through location within the system of the New Holland Water Line in general, through the exceptional, solitary and non-inundatable terrain protected position and through the recognisable relationship with the field of fire.

* The component is representative because it is a rare example of a solitary fort that served as access defence at the (western) entrance of the (New) Merwede and at the Steurgat and which was also part of the forward defence of Gorinchem.

* The component is moderately preserved because the ground plan, the moat, the access road and the maintenance path have been largely preserved, but the coverings have been removed and the ramparts and the earth piling have been partly levelled.