Versperring, Gageldijk bij 165

English translation

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Description

Cluster 30. Access Bridge I (to the landhead / outwork).

NEW HOLLAND WATERLINE

Introduction

ACCESS BRIDGE I (to the landhead / outwork), located south of the fort over the outer fort moat. The bridge dates in origin presumably from around 1880. Raising or removing / destroying bridges has since ancient times been an effective means of warding off intruders. Not only was passage or crossing over a watercourse, a dry or wet moat or a terrain depression thus hindered or delayed, but an attacker also had to provide means to potentially overcome the barrier themselves. Wooden bridges were relatively quick to destroy, if necessary by setting them on fire. Stone and concrete bridges required a larger and more time-consuming intervention, although an explosive charge could sometimes quickly achieve the desired effect. With the advent of iron bridges - applied on a large scale in the course of the 19th century in many variants - the second possibility remained, but the first disappeared. Blowing up bridges was capital destruction and happened only in extreme necessity. Ways in which iron bridges could be closed was raising or removing, or else making inaccessible, (small) parts of them. The bridge south of Fort De Gagel was presumably always a permanent connection between the two heads. The bridge formed a civilian link in the diversion road (Gageldijk) and was of military significance as a connection of the Klopdijk with the landhead that could if necessary be removed or otherwise destroyed.

Description

ACCESS BRIDGE I (to landhead / outwork), presumably from around 1880, between the Klopdijk and the Gageldijk and forming part of the diversion road around the fort. The small bridge (approx. 4 x 3.50 m), with heads and wings executed in brick and some natural stone blocks, has a wooden bridge deck with iron railings spanning five bays of crosswise bracing and possessing curved ends.

Valuation

ACCESS BRIDGE I (to landhead / outwork) of Fort De Gagel 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 constructed 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 architecture, which was based on and arose as a consequence of

- the system of inundation and access defence (19th century) and - the competition with increasingly powerful offensive means (19th century).

This concerns a component originally dating from around 1880, namely an expression related to military-strategic architecture of historical road and water construction.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, as well as 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 application of this type of bridge in a combined civil and military situation.

* The component is reasonably well preserved because main form and building details, as well as various components have remained intact.