Delfgauw: History, Farms and Cycling Route

Delfgauw originally developed as an agricultural hamlet along the Delftsestraatweg, the Noord- and Zuideindseweg, and the Pijnackerse Vaart. Its local history can be explored through these settlement routes and the named farms. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish these cultural themes from outdoor activities: local stories lead to farms, trees and historic traces, while cycling and walking offer different points of focus. This can help you decide whether to structure your stay around heritage or outdoor activities.

Farms and History

The Pijnackerse Vaart has connected Delft with Pijnacker since the 16th century. It provides a historical reference that predates the farm buildings. Unlike the farms, the focus of the Vaart is not a single year of construction, but the connection between Delft and Pijnacker. The farm “Onder de zeven linden” at Delftsestraatweg 280 dates from 1860; the Nooitgedacht farm was built between 1902 and 1912. Nooitgedacht was therefore built several decades later. The two farms represent different building periods in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Seven lime trees stand in front of the “Onder de zeven linden” farm and are protected as monumental trees. Cheese was originally made at the farm. The property therefore brings together two historical features: the protected lime trees in front of the building and its former cheese production. This adds the farm’s agricultural use to its construction date and gives its history a distinct focus.

Historic Traces and Orientation

Along the Zuideindseweg, the faint outlines of a raised, moated farmstead in the late-medieval settlement of Ruyven can be made out in the grassland. This offers a different approach to understanding the area’s history than the farms with specific construction dates: here, the faintly visible outlines draw attention to the late-medieval farmstead. The Bieslandse Bovenmolen in Delfgauw provides another local landmark: a historic information board from the municipality is located by the mill.

Cycling and Walking

The cycling route through Emerald is part of a high-quality cycling network between Zoetermeer, Delft and Rotterdam. The Groene Keijzer is accessible year-round; a walking trail leads from the parking lot to a viewpoint. This gives you two different ways to enjoy the outdoors: a cycling route within a network connecting several cities, and a walking trail with a specific starting point and destination. For the route through Emerald, its connection to the cycling network is the main point of reference; for the Groene Keijzer, year-round access and the trail from the parking lot to the viewpoint are useful for planning.

If you want to tailor your trip to your interests, you can start by choosing between local history and outdoor activities. For heritage, the named farms, their different construction periods and the traces of late-medieval Ruyven offer a range of historical perspectives. For outdoor pursuits, the focus is on cycling and walking, each with the route details mentioned above. This lets you explore Delfgauw through specific themes without combining its different historic sites and activities into a single tour.

Discover more destinations: Nootdorp, Pijnacker.

Go to the regional travel overview: Pijnacker-Nootdorp.