The history of De Havixhorst As long ago as 1000 years, the earliest Dutch farmers settled on the edge of the river Reest, in high places or ‘horsts’ between the water-logged plains
The history of De Havixhorst
As long ago as 1000 years, the earliest Dutch farmers settled on the edge of the river Reest, in high places or ‘horsts’ between the water-logged plains. De Reest is a picturesque broad stream, a northern remnant of the Overijssel Vecht from long, long ago.
De Havixhorst was noted as far back as 1371 as being an inhabited place in the Reestdal, not far from Meppel. In 1618 its official recognition as a ‘havezate’ followed, the old East Dutch name for a knightly residence. Havezates are traditionally found in the rural stretch between Zutphen and Assen. From the 15th century onwards, the gentlemen of Havixhorst were awarded ‘collation rights’: that is, the right to appoint a clergyman to the nearby church in the village of IJhorst, right on the border of Drenthe and Overijssel.
The noble de Vos van Steenwijk family lived here for nearly 300 years, from 1658 to 1939. The castle was owned by the family until 1963. After that, it served various public functions for a few years, including being a retirement home and holiday resort for young people.
Why here?
On a horst in the Reestdal? Finding good land on which something would grow and that didn’t flood often was a rare thing 1000 years ago. And very expensive to boot, because for the pioneers of Dutch agriculture, cattle breeding was their primary occupation. Back then, the southern part of Drenthe was mostly a large, swampy and inaccessible marsh. Difficult to get to and even more difficult to live in. Passage was possible in only a few places near De Havixhorst; among others at Staphorst and Meppel – which is essentially the ‘back garden’ of the estate. A high, dry piece of ground not far from a minor, meandering river.
Successful farmsteads
No wonder, then, that here, especially on the high and dry horsts, successful farms could flourish; the small, prosperous region near De Wijk and Ruinerwold was nicknamed ‘the Gold Coast of Drenthe’. When De Havixhorst's now-elegant Tuinzaal was a farm, it housed around 100 cows. Back then, this was an enormous amount. An estate such as De Havixhorst (“the first building in the forest”) was completely self-sufficient, it was like a village outside the village.
Living in a manor?
Thanks to owner Jos Wijland, De Havixhorst has a new purpose: that of a Chateauhotel. Strictly speaking, De Havixhorst isn’t a castle; it’s a havezate – a knightly residence. Granting a knighthood to the Lord of a castle was something only the government of Drenthe – the Landdag – could do. And they were all elected. All of this meant that De Havixhorst was part of the first, cautious democratic system in the Netherlands. By the time the French took control, 34 houses in Drenthe had been awarded the honorary title of havesathe. Now there are only six, but they are still resplendent in their glory.
De Havixhorst as a private residence
This privileged settlement on the Reest, known as ‘Havixhorst’, has been inhabited since the 14th century. The current main building that dates from 1753 was carefully and lovingly restored between 1979 and 1982, in cooperation with het Drenste Landschap, the foundation for the Drenthe countryside Owner Jos Wijland still has an authentic, 18th century blueprint of the building plans, the predecessor of modern architectural drawings. And it is, as the name implies, bright blue!
De Vos van Steenwijk
The original owners, the noble de Vos van Steenwijk family, lived here very well indeed in times gone by, although nowadays we would say they lived rather simply. The imposing facade of the main house belies a simple life; behind it were only three simple living rooms on the ground floor, and four more rooms above. The entire double attic, which now houses stunning hotel suites, was empty, without any assigned function. But it was the inevitable and unavoidable odours associated with cattle husbandry that perpetuated the atmosphere of ‘everyone mucking in’. Not a fancy show home, but a house for hard workers.
Much love and care
In 1979 the Wijland family, the current owners of the Chateauhotel and De Havixhorst restaurant, started the extensive job of restoring the somewhat tired estate to its former glory. And with plenty of respect for the past. The doors were opened to hotel and restaurant guests in 1982. This was the year in which De Havixhorst was also purchased by Het Drentse Landschap, the Drenthe countryside foundation. Working together, the focus is on the maintenance and further restoration of the castle complex and surrounding gardens.
https://www.dehavixhorst.nl/en/history
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