Rilland: Polder History and Historic Sites

Rilland was founded in the late 18th century in the middle of the Reigersbergsche polder; the polder had already been reclaimed in 1773. The founding of the village and the history of the landscape therefore belong to different periods. The historic sites trace the story from the creation of today’s village through the history of the harbor and mills to buildings and traces of the older Oud-Rilland. This gives your stay a clear focus: you can get to know Rilland through its polder history and the evidence left by different eras.

Harbor Landscape and Earlier Settlement History

Haven Rattekaai was established in 1856, after the neighboring Eerste-Bathpolder had been reclaimed. The harbor served as a trading port for Rilland. This sequence marks two distinct points in time: the polder’s reclamation in 1773 and the later harbor. From Haven Rattekaai, the view stretches across the mudflat and salt marsh area of the Verdronken Land van Zuid-Beveland; visibility depends on the weather and the tide.

A Hollestelle illustrates the former use of the salt marshes. It is an artificial watering place within a circular embankment. Such features were generally built on salt marshes for sheep; during high water, the shepherd could retreat there with the sheep. Next to the Klooster van Rilland is one of the few Hollestelles still preserved in Zeeland. The circular embankment and watering place point both to the feature’s form and its practical function in the landscape.

Oud-Rilland was lost beneath the Westerschelde during the Sint-Felixflood of 1530; remains can be seen at low tide. Wooden remains from the mudflat area near Rilland probably come from an unidentified structure that may have belonged to the village lost in 1530 and 1532. This attribution is therefore a possibility, not a certain identification of a specific building. The distinction matters for understanding the chronology: the loss of Oud-Rilland and the possible origin of the wooden remains are connected, but they have not been established with the same degree of certainty.

For planning your visit, the tide makes a practical difference: the remains of Oud-Rilland are visible at low tide; at Haven Rattekaai, the view across the salt marshes and mudflats also depends on the weather. If the remains are your main focus, plan your visit around low tide. For the harbor view, the weather matters as well as the tide.

Buildings from Different Centuries

Mariahoeve was built in 1780 and is the only complete farm from that period still preserved in its original condition. The farm includes a detached 18th-century farmhouse and a black-tarred wooden cross-passage barn from the 19th century. Mariahoeve has been officially listed as a Rijksmonument since 1979. The farmhouse and barn represent two distinct building phases: one dates from the 18th century, the other from the 19th. Its exceptional state of preservation and listed status give the farm a special place among Rilland’s historic buildings.

The former Reformed church on Bathseweg can also be understood through its architecture. It is a cruciform church, with a tower featuring a tall square spire at its southwest corner. De Witte Molen adds to the picture of the area’s milling history: Foort de Jonge built it in Rilland in 1851 as a grain mill. The farm, church, and mill represent different architectural forms and aspects of the village’s history.

The Klooster van Rilland was founded by Capuchin friars in 1906. At the former monastery on Hoofdweg, an information board lists all the points of interest along the Ommetje Rilland: Oud & Nieuw route. Check the board’s location before your trip. The monastery and the neighboring Hollestelle also bring the history of the site’s founding and a landscape feature together in one place.

Discover more destinations: Kruiningen, Yerseke.

For the regional travel overview: Reimerswaal.