Water heritage

The water board has a wealth of water heritage dating back centuries. The polder mills, old pumping stations, and dikes are, of course, immediately apparent in the landscape. But we also have a large collection of objects from the water board's past: from beautiful maps and finely engraved glasses to millwright tools. All these monuments and objects contribute to our historical awareness and collective memory. They form part of the DNA of North Holland and make the story of water tangible.

  • Featured!

    Online exhibition of nine artworks created by VWO-6 students from Han Fortmann (Trinitas College) in Heerhugowaard (2026).

  • Water heritage in the spotlight

    Pumps, mills, dikes, and locks tell the story of the battle against water. We highlight a few of them.

  • West Frisian Enclosing Dike

    The monumental West Frisian Omringdijk is eight hundred years old, 126 kilometre , and has been our support and refuge against the raging waters for centuries.

  • Treasures from the shelf

    The highlights of our water heritage collection can be admired in the permanent exhibition Waterschat (Water Treasure).

  • Friends of the Hondsbossche

    Become a Friend and receive an annual booklet about the rich history of water management in the Noorderkwartier region. 

  • App West Frisian Omringdijk

    Our free app brings the traces of the battle against water to life with stories, photos, and maps.

  • Bicycle routes

    To mark the 400th anniversary of De Purmer (2022), two cycling routes have been created: one through the northern part of the polder and one through the southern part.

  • Subsidy scheme 'Story of Hollands Noorderkwartier'

    We subsidize activities that are related to our water tasks or our water heritage.

  • Subsidy scheme for polder mills in the Hollands Noorderkwartier region

    We support owners of polder mills in our management area with an annual contribution for activities that maintain the polder mills.

  • 450 years of Leeghwater 1575-2025

    Online exhibition marking the 450th anniversary of the birth of Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater.

  • Storm surge 1953

    The storm surge of January 31 to February 1, 1953, is etched in our national memory as THE DISASTER for good reason. The storm also claimed six lives on Texel.

  • Exhibitions Han Fortmann

    Every year, we give students at Han Fortmann (Trinitas College) a water-related exam assignment for the subject of drawing.

  • Vision on our water heritage

    The vision describes three guiding principles that help us to manage our water heritage in an appropriate manner.

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