Water heritage in the spotlight

Jan Adriaensz. Leeghwater is a household name in the Netherlands. Almost everyone knows the name of this hydraulic engineer and windmill builder.

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.

The grave of Willem de Geus (1810-1887), dike reeve of the Schermeer Water Board, is located in the cemetery surrounding the church in Stompetoren.

The drainage sluice in the Wadden Sea dike near the Het Noorden windmill, which was restored in 2024, was important for no fewer than three polders.

In the open meadow polder area between Opmeer and Obdam, the metre chimney of the former auxiliary steam pumping station of the Kaagpolder stands out.

The J.C. de Leeuw pumping station was the first permanent steam pumping station in the Noorderkwartier region. It drained the Anna Paulowna polder.

The Wijdenes Spaans pumping station on the Van Ewijcksvaart canal is a national monument, but it is also still the main pumping station within the Anna Paulowna polder.

The Waakzaamheid pumping station in Lutjewinkel, south of Kolhorn, maintains the water level in the Verenigde Raakmaats- en Niedorperkoggeboezem.

In 1357, Count William V of Holland (1330-1389) gave authorisation close off the Kromme IJ with a dam between the dikes around Uitgeest and Assendelft.

The Zeevang pumping station and the adjacent old engineer's house were built at the end of the 19th century on behalf of the Zeevang polder board.

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.

The history of the Hazedwarsdijk dates back to the 16th century. At that time, it was an important dike for the village of Petten.

You wouldn't think so, but the Spreeuwendijk was once an important sea defense. The dike had to withstand the force of the North Sea.

The striking Hargermolen windmill south of Petten was struck by fire twice, but both times it was beautifully restored.

Hotze de Roos named the polder mill in his famous Kameleon series after the Woudaap in North Holland, near his home town of Krommenie.

This lock in the Krommenieër-Woudpolder was used so often by the farmers of Markenbinnen that it was nicknamed Boerensluis (Farmer's Lock).

The Zanddijk, between Egmond-Binnen and Limmen, is one of the oldest dikes in North Holland. The dike was constructed before 1100.

The brand-new Monnickendam pumping station has a centuries-old history. With this pumping station, an old plan from 1896 was finally completed.

This bluestone boundary marker was probably erected around 1800 and marks the boundary between the Hondsbossche and Pettemer Zeewering.

In 1999, the unique polder landscape of the Beemster gained international acknowledgement being placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Soeteboom pumping station on Hogendijk in Zaandam was built on top of the old Hornersluis lock in the Noorder IJ and Zeedijk.

The Grote Molen and Schellinkhout pumping station beautifully illustrate the development of drainage technology from wind-powered to motor-powered drainage.

The diving lock looks peaceful today, but until the 20th century, Schagen and Burghorn regularly quarreled over drainage.

The crossbeam shed in De Haukes houses the crossbeams for the breach or cut in the Westerlanderdijk.

This lonely cottage is a reminder of the Zuiderzee Works, which turned the island of Wieringen into part of the mainland of North Holland.

The Jacob Claessesluis commemorates the centuries-long struggle between the Zijpepolder and the Hoogheemraadschap van de Uitwaterende Sluizen (Water Board of the Drainage Locks).

This former steam pumping station, built in 1877, pumped water from the Beetskoog polder to the Schermerboezem until 1954. It is now a museum pumping station.

The dike post marks the boundary between the Assendelver Zeedijk and the Sint Aagtendijk. The many bends in the dike are reminders of old dike breaches.

The Lely pumping station may be more eye-catching, but the Leemans pumping station is the most important pumping station in the Wieringermeer.

This large floodgate in the southern ring dike is part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Oosterpolder pumping station is located at the intersection of Holenweg and Schellinkhouterdijk in Hoorn. It discharges excess water into the Markermeer. 

The 18th-century stone embankment at the bottom of the Westzaner Zeedijk near Nauerna is a reminder of the devastating shipworm.

Once upon a time, during a storm, the Zuiderzee pounded against the lock gates of the 'Hoge Sluis', the former sea lock of the Zijperpolder.

For centuries, the Nauernasche or Schermersluis played a crucial role in drainage and shipping in North Holland.

In 1904, the 't Leven polder mill suffered such severe damage that the polder board decided to replace it with "a water machine with a motor."

With its size and shape, the Hercules windmill is a striking feature in the open landscape of the Kalverpolder in Zaandam.

Together with the lock and the bascule bridge, the Meldijk pumping station forms a beautiful and well-preserved complex in the middle of the built-up area of Uitgeest.

The monumental Damsluis lock occupies a prominent place in the heart of Edam. In 2021/2022, the lock underwent extensive renovation.

The Hornsluis was one of the waterworks needed when the Beemstermeer was drained in the years 1608-1612.

The monumental Sassluis lock, built in 1827, will be fitted with two new sets of wooden lock gates in 2022.

In the village of Schardam, there are two old locks in the former Zeedijk: the Noorder and Zuider locks.

The Zeesluis is not only widely used by recreational boaters, but also forms an important link in walking routes.

This gauge pole stands between the dike and the old lock keeper's house and bears an important inscription from the 18th century.

A monument dating from 1922 commemorates millwright and hydraulic engineer Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater.

The oldest pumping station in Purmer is equipped with the latest pumping technology, but exudes history.

The Noorderpolderhuis, north of Schermerhorn, is a national monument with a long and interesting history.

The Wilhelmina pumping station in Schermer has been a museum since 1995 and is open every Sunday during the summer months.

If you want to see how the Dutch kept their feet dry for centuries, take a look at the Dog in Uitgeest.

De Viaan has been draining the Bergermeer for more than four centuries, but before that he kept the Zijpe dry.

The Kathammer or Katwoudermolen, south of Volendam, is a national monument dating from 1896.

The old steam pumping station De Vier Noorder Koggen, dating from 1869, is now used as the Dutch Steam Engine Museum.