Autumn walk Nieuw Leeuwenhorst Forrest

A surprisingly beautiful walk through the Nieuw Leeuwenhorstbos. Discover Nieuw Leeuwenhorst and its secret places. Did you know that in addition to beautiful nature, there is also a lot of history to be found here? The walking route is easy to follow via posts with the photo of the coach house on them. There is plenty of parking for cars and bicycles.

TIP Kids-proof! Are you traveling with children? Then discover the Climbing Forest on the other side. (located directly at the car park) The adventurous play and activity forest was conceived and designed by children from Teylingen college. Here the children can enjoy themselves in a natural environment, balancing and climbing over tree trunks, swinging on lianas, and finding their way out of the labyrinth. Have you found the big crater? Could it possibly be a dinosaur footprint? Let your imagination run wild and enjoy the fresh air.

History of Nieuw Leeuwenhorst

Nieuw Leeuwenhorst is part of the large Leeuwenhorst Estate, which was created on the grounds of Leeuwenhorst Abbey. The Leeuwenhorst monastery was built in 1261 on a higher piece of land (horst) on the revierthe de Lee. Over the centuries, four different country estates were built on the one hundred hectare monastery grounds: Oud Leeuwenhorst (1586), Dijkenburg (1721), Klein Leeuwenhorst (1858) and Nieuw Leeuwenhorst (1880). Rich city dwellers who fled the city lived on the country estates in the summer months. In their beautiful country houses, surrounded by gardens and forests, they enjoyed nature and the outdoors.

The history of the country house

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the forest area between Westeinde and Gooweg was part of the rural town of Dijkenburg. Between 1880 and 1882 a stately longhouse was built there: Huize Leeuwenhorst, partly in neo-Gothic, partly in neoclassical style. The house was commissioned by the Van Limburg Stirum-Gevers family for esquire A.D.Th. Givers. Great hunts and festive balls were given. Huize Leeuwenhorst was a beautiful country retreat, but unfortunately nothing is left of it. Nieuw Leewenhorst suffered a lot during the Second World War.

The domain of the German occupiers

During the Second World War, the Leeuwenhorst Estate suffered a lot of damage. In 1941, all country houses and homes on the estate were requisitioned by the German army. To get a clear field of fire, almost all the trees in the forest were cut down. In 1943, a 20-meter-wide anti-tank ditch was dug on behalf of the German Wehrmacht. It ran from the coast to the Trekvaart and was intended to prevent the Allied armies from advancing north. The only passage from north to south was at the junction of the Gooweg with the Schuine Laan. There was a bridge over the anti-tank ditch, with a guard post next to it. A tank or artillery was also positioned there. A thick concrete slab at the point with the Schuine Laan is still a reminder of this German guard post.

Trenches and bunkers

In the forest of Nieuw Leeuwenhorst, bunkers remind us of the Second World War. The bunkers housed the troops and stored supplies of ammunition and food. The "Widerstandsnest 232 Leeuwenhorst" contains a total of twelve bunkers, which were built from stones from Huize Leeuwenhorst. Most of them have disappeared under the sand. The other bunkers are not accessible. A few bunkers have been specially designed as bat habitats.