SLANGENMUUR "HUIS TE MANPAD". HEEMSTEDE, Nl.

[Lvandelft]

Last week we visited an old Estate in our neighbourhood, where you can see a
so called "Snake Wall" . This is a curved (snake-like) brick wall and this peculiarly  is one
of the longest, best saved ones in Europe. I could not find an other translation for the
word "Slangenmuur", because they were as far as I know only used on the Continent,
so I hope you understand what I mean.
These walls were used to plant fruit trees against because they are able to keep the
warmth better than a straight wall.
This one is topped with rooftiles.
There is once or twice a week a guided tour (free!) around the place, but there are not many plants to see.
Next to the drive is a place under very old limetrees where Saxifraga granulata Flore Pleno is growing.
I show some pictures of the house which is situated on an island only to reach over a small bridge.
Some pictures of the wall with one of the modern way to keep espalier trees in form with plastic pipes.
And some plants:
Saxifraga granulata Flore Pleno             
Doronicum plantagineum           
Thalictrum aquilegifolium

[Lvandelft]

batch 2

[Gerdk]

Luit,
What a fine place, found your beautiful pics as recently as today!
Once again I learned that our neighbours are most inventive concerning
methods of cultivating plants.

Gerd

[Giles]

Luit,
We have these walls in the UK too.
They have several different names.
They are called Serpentine Walls, Crinkle-Crankle Walls or Crinkum-Crankum.
They date (here atleast) from the mid 18th century.
They are quite common.
Giles

[Lvandelft]

Giles, I was puzzling quite a while how I should call this Topic.
Did search a while on the net and tried to find a proper translation
for the Dutch word, but could not really find something I liked.
I found out that there are some of those wall in GB., but this one is special
because of its length and it seems to be one of the best preserved in Europe.
I just noticed that the replies from you and Gerd are the only ones after more
than a month since I made this topic.
Should I change the Topic name in "Crinkled Wall (Slangenmuur)?

[Paul T]

Luit,

I only discovered it yesterday, and thought there wasn't much I could contribute by way of comment.  Given that some of the pics have been opened 30 times there has obviously been interest in the topic.

[Giles]

I don't know what's best to publicise your wall.
It's certainly bigger and better than the one's here!
The Dutch do have a reputation of being rather good at all things horticultural!!!
Giles

[Giles]

PS.
It took a Dutchman to drain the Fens, and give birth to our own bulb industry(Cornelius Vermuyden), and William of Orange sparked a resurgence of
interest in horticulture when he came over here to sort us out!
(William III England = William II Scotland (King Billy)= Willem Hendrik)

[Lvandelft]

PS.
It took a Dutchman to drain the Fens, and give birth to our own bulb industry(Cornelius Vermuyden), and William of Orange sparked a resurgence of
interest in horticulture when he came over here to sort us out!
(William III England = William II Scotland (King Billy)= Willem Hendrik)

Giles, in that case I have another interesting story about the first Willem van Oranje,
who was fighting against the Duke of Alva of Spain in the 16th century.

Before the "Huis te Manpad" was built, there was only a farm on this place,
but the place got fame in 1573, when the Admiral Lumey, who was
Lieutenant or substitute of  Prince Willem van Oranje, was fighting against the
Spanish who occupied the Netherlands.
To try to avoid the Spanish to take in the nearby city of Haarlem, he went to
fight with 4000 man, 200 horseman and 4 cannons against the Spanish soldiers.
The Spanish were much stronger and hunted the rebels more than 5 km.
At this battle 700 rebels lost their lives and Haarlem was four days later in Spanish hands.

Intersting is too, that at about this place a monument was made of the "first" battle on
this place where in 1304 the Dutch defeated the Flamish.
But historic experts mean that there was never such a battle..??

[Lvandelft]

William II Scotland (King Billy)= Willem Hendrik)

PS I always think that we have much affinities with the Scots.
The Dutch are as thrifty as the Scots seem to be called.   



Ooooops, I almost forgot this is the SCOTTISH RGC.

[David Nicholson]

Luit, you would have to find room for Yorkshiremen as well!

[Anthony Darby]

PS.
It took a Dutchman to drain the Fens, and give birth to our own bulb industry(Cornelius Vermuyden), and William of Orange sparked a resurgence of
interest in horticulture when he came over here to sort us out!
(William III England = William II Scotland (King Billy)= Willem Hendrik)

Unfortunately, things horticultural (i.e. draining the fens) caused the extinction of one of the most beautiful of butterflies: the Large Copper - (Lycaena dispar dispar) in 1854 and the near extinction of the icon of British butterflies the British Swallowtail (Papilio machaon britannicus). The latters very existance is down to management of the remaining fens in the Norfolk Broads for reeds used in the thatching industry and, latterly, for the butterflies.