Misplaced Pages

#32967

16-637: When used in the specific Dutch context, "Rijnland" generally refers to the area around the Oude Rijn , the lower reaches of a minor branch of the Rhine river in the Netherlands. This river is referred to as "Rijn" (Rhine) in the Netherlands for historical reasons. This small, heavily-canalised and remote branch of the Rhine was, in fact, the river that the Romans used to call the Rhine and the northern limit of

32-567: A towpath along large sections of the river, many parts of which have since been upgraded to roads or cycle paths. The city of Utrecht was founded at a ford near the fork of the Kromme Rijn into the Vecht to the north and the Oude Rijn to the west. Of the original fork, little remains today, and both Vecht and Rijn start from the city moat . For the first few kilometres of its course,

48-443: A canal to Utrecht where it is further canalised and directed west. The names for this minor waterway as it flows through the provinces of Utrecht and South Holland change, but all the names still include the name "Rijn" and it is not unusual for it to be referred to as the "Rijn". Its varying names are Kromme Rijn ("Crooked Rhine"), Leidse Rijn ("Leiden Rhine") and Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine"). The Oude Rijn ends as it flows into

64-539: A sluice at Katwijk aan Zee , where its waters can be discharged into the North Sea . It is the area around the Oude Rijn that is referred to as "Rijnland". The name "Rijnland" is the name of several administrative areas, both current and historical, and it can also be used in a more vaguely defined sense: The word "Rijnland" is also used in several historical Dutch units of measurement : Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland) The Oude Rijn ("Old Rhine")

80-552: A so-called High Water Authority or in Dutch Hoogheemraadschap , the first of its kind in The Netherlands. The organisation has been privileged in 1255 by Count William II of Holland and Zeeland as central coordinator of all waterworks in the area and later was given the name Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland. Early works were the building of draining canals around the city of Leiden. From 1408 on, with

96-626: Is a branch of the Rhine delta in the Dutch provinces of Utrecht and South Holland , starting west of Utrecht , at Harmelen , and running by a mechanical pumping station into the North Sea at Katwijk . Its present-day length is 52 kilometres. In ancient times, it was the lower part of the main River Rhine, which forked at the Betuwe into a northern branch, the Rhine, and a southern branch,

112-469: Is a part of the former municipality of Bodegraven , and lies about five kilometres west of Woerden . Bodegraven has become part of the municipality of Bodegraven-Reeuwijk in 2011. Nieuwerbrug aan de Rijn is the spelling since 2009 to distinguish from Nieuwebrug in Friesland. Nieuwerbrug is a dike village which developed along the bridge over the Oude Rijn which was built in 1510. The bridge became

128-655: The Waal . The Oude Rijn was then much wider than it is now, and tidal. During the Roman occupation, the river formed part of the northern border of the Empire . In medieval times, the River Lek became the main outlet for the Rhine, and the Oude Rijn silted up. The river was still important as a drain for the surrounding lowlands, for the clay industry, and as a transport and trade route. Ships were towed by horse and human power, using

144-524: The Zijl stream begin here. The Nieuwe Rijn ("New Rhine") is a short branch that, together with the Oude Rijn, forms part of Leiden's moat system; the two branches merge in the city's centre. The stream Korte Vliet discharges into the Oude Rijn and it continues through Valkenburg and Rijnsburg to Katwijk . At Katwijk aan den Rijn the Oegstgeesterkanaal merges with the Oude Rijn. From here

160-628: The Roman Empire in this area. The term "Rijnland" is itself ancient. Today, when the Rhine river enters the Netherlands from Germany, most of it becomes the river Waal and is no longer called the Rhine. However, some of it flows north (through a canal) after which it splits into the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine) and the IJssel . The Nederrijn eventually becomes the Lek , but a branch of it flows through

176-540: The at that time unpopulated locations, evolved into cities and villages. In Valkenburg, the layout of the Roman castellum has been marked in the pavement. At Woerden and Zwammerdam, Roman ships have been excavated. Martin Hendriksma, "De Rijn. Biografie van een rivier", Publisher De Geus, 2017 Nieuwerbrug Nieuwerbrug (also Nieuwerbrug aan de Rijn ) is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland . It

SECTION 10

#1732776525033

192-675: The first at Zoeterwoude, wind-powered pumps were installed along the Old Rhine, to pump water from the lowlands into the river. The river silted up in the course of the Middle Ages and became much smaller. In 1572 near the North Sea the Water Authority had a canal built through the dunes to allow the Rhine water to flow into the sea, but due to war circumstances, it did silt. In 1807, a large water management system with locks

208-686: The river has been straightened into a canal (called the Uitwateringkanaal ); it empties into the North Sea through a pumping station, preventing high tides inland and silting up of the river mouth. Around 1000 CE the river silted up, causing floodings of the lowlands. As prevention, around 1100 CE a dam with locks was built at the village of Zwammerdam, upstream at the border to Utrecht, an area reigned by German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa . Continuing problems in water management in wide areas along Oude Rijn were reason for civilians with administrative responsibilities to collaborate and to establish

224-602: The river is channelised and known as the Leidse Rijn (Leiden Rhine). It becomes the Oude Rijn after the railway bridge near Harmelen (municipality Woerden ). Then it flows westward through Woerden where first the Lange Linschoten branches off to the south and then the Oude Rijn forms part of the city moats . After Woerden, the River Grecht branches off to the north and the Oude Rijn continues through

240-615: The towns of Nieuwerbrug , Bodegraven , and Zwammerdam . Here the Meije  [ nl ] stream empties into the Oude Rijn. In Alphen aan den Rijn , the Aar Canal joins the river and the Gouwe branches off to the south. It then flows through Koudekerk aan den Rijn and Hazerswoude-Rijndijk . After Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk and Leiderdorp , where the short River Does ends, the Oude Rijn flows through Leiden . The Rhine-Schie Canal and

256-549: Was established to allow the water to flow out at low tide. In 1880 a steam driven mechanical pumping station was built. In Roman times, the river Oude Rijn formed part of the Roman Empire's northern border ( Limes Germanicus ). At strategic locations the Romans did build guarding-towers and border-guarding castella and castra , including: Laurum ( Woerden ), Nigrum Pullum ( Zwammerdam ), Albaniana ( Alphen aan den Rijn ), Matilo (Leiderdorp), Praetorium Agrippinae ( Valkenburg ), and Lugdunum Batavorum (Katwijk). Many of

#32967