Nieuw-Lekkerland: Mills and Water Management History

When planning a trip to Nieuw-Lekkerland, you can focus on several different interests: mill history, historic buildings and water management. Korenmolen De Regt has specific seasonal visiting hours; other points of interest relate more to architectural style, date of construction or former function. This lets you choose between a specific visiting opportunity and an interest in architecture or local history during your stay.

Mills and visiting hours

Korenmolen De Regt, which still stands today, is generally dated to around 1850; the exact year is not entirely certain. During the summer season, from April to September, it is open to the public every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with free admission. It also offers tours led by volunteers. Check the seasonal opening hours before your visit, as arrangements may change.

Hoge Molen still mills regularly on a voluntary basis. For planning purposes, it is worth noting the difference: De Regt focuses on specific visiting hours and tours, while Hoge Molen focuses on regular voluntary milling. These represent two aspects of mill work, although the same visiting arrangements are not specified for both.

Dike architecture and building history

The farm at Lekdijk 63 is a 17th-century hall-house farm and an example of a farm located within the dike at its foot. Its architectural type and location describe two different features: the building is classified as a hall house, while the location describes its relation to the dike. A dike house on Lekdijk was built in 1885 in the eclectic style.

The water tower at Lekdijk 82 presents a different architectural feature. The hexagonal concrete tower has a round hollow-bottom reservoir and was built in 1915 to a design by J. Smit and engineer A. Visser. The farm, dike house and tower thus represent different building types and dates; in the case of the tower, its specific construction and the people involved in its design are also noted.

Water management in the polder

The former Heijnis steam pumping station at Boezemkade 1 is a surviving relic of the high boezem of the Nieuw-Lekkerland polder. It was built in 1882 and used until 1981. Its construction date and end of use provide a clear time frame for its history; its preservation connects the building to the polder’s water management.

The Nieuw-Lekkerland polder also had a small-scale water management system similar to those in Overwaard and Nederwaard. While the pumping station is a tangible, individual building, the information about the polder describes a system. Together, these two perspectives offer insight into water management both through a surviving building and through a comparable form of management.

Landscape, outdoor swimming pool and other interests

The Oude Algemene Begraafplaats on Lekdijk is a valuable historic landscape feature in Nieuw-Lekkerland. Local history therefore includes not only individual buildings but also a feature of the landscape. Zwembad Schoonenburg is a heated outdoor swimming pool in Nieuw-Lekkerland, offering a different focus from architecture or water management. On May 21, 2021, a farm shop opened at Boerderij Eben-Haëzer in Nieuw-Lekkerland.

The Mission Belle B-17G Memorial is located near Nieuw-Lekkerland, on Lekdijk between Streefkerk and Nieuw-Lekkerland. A 20.8 km Kinderdijk walking route also runs nearby, crossing dikes, passing through the polder and going by the mills. Its length and described route provide concrete guidance when choosing a walk; as a travel interest, it differs from visiting individual buildings.

Discover more destinations: Oud-Alblas, Ottoland.

For the main travel overview: Molenwaard.