Poeldijk: Gantel dike, horticulture and historic buildings

Poeldijk developed along the northern dike of the Gantel River. In the area around Poeldijk, layers of peat formed fertile soil for greenhouse horticulture. These two foundations shaped the town’s history in different ways: the dike tells the story of the settlement’s origins, while the soil reflects the agricultural character of the surrounding area. Historic buildings, archaeological traces and leisure activities reveal further aspects of the town.

The Gantel, the dike and horticulture

The passage beneath the Witte Brug offered some local growers the shortest route to the Gantel and the hinterland. It is therefore part of a historic connection between growers, the waterway and the hinterland. The Gantel has been used for recreation since 1970. The town’s history thus brings together two distinct themes: an earlier connection with transport and the river’s recreational use.

Manor house and farm: distinct architectural histories

Torenzicht was built in 1914 as a classic manor house with recognizable Art Nouveau features and has been a municipal monument since 2013. It takes its name from the eponymous castle-like country estate that stood at this location between the Gantel and Wateringseweg from 1723. The manor house’s construction date and the history of the former estate mark two different points in time; its monument status belongs to a later period. Alongside the classic manor-house style, the Art Nouveau features provide a distinctive architectural accent.

De Arckelsteijn focuses on a different type of building: the farm dates from 1717 and is a longhouse-style building. It is a point of interest along the Poeldijk walking route. In contrast to Torenzicht, this is a farm classified as a longhouse, set against a manor house with Art Nouveau features. This comparison moves from one specific architectural form to another without conflating their different historical periods.

Archaeological, economic and religious traces

The Poeldijk - Wateringseweg archaeological site contains remains of a Roman villa complex and a settlement of local inhabitants. This site adds archaeological traces of earlier settlement to the architectural history. The two elements of the Roman context should be distinguished: a villa complex and a settlement of local inhabitants.

The auction building at Monsterseweg 6 in Poeldijk also connects the town’s history with horticulture. It is the only surviving auction hall from the sector’s heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. As an auction hall, the building adds commerce to the story of the soil and cultivation; its classification points to a specific period in horticulture’s history.

Another historical thread leads to the parish of H. Bartholomeus in Poeldijk. Its history dates back to the naming of the Poeldijk chapel after Saint Bartholomew in 1252. This date is considerably earlier than the architectural and economic histories described above. Together, these themes show that Poeldijk’s history encompasses religious and archaeological as well as architectural and economic connections.

Leisure activities offer a different travel focus

For a trip focused on activities, there are concrete leisure options in addition to the cultural and historical attractions: Van der Ende Racing & Fun offers karting for recreational drivers in Poeldijk; the options also include laser tag and various team games. Karting is a recreational sport, alongside the game-oriented activities. When planning your trip to Poeldijk, you can therefore choose between the town’s history and architecture on the one hand, and a more active leisure focus on the other.

Discover more destinations: Ter Heijde, De Lier, 'S-Gravenzande, Naaldwijk

Return to the main travel overview: Westland.