Klencke route

Directions

• De Klencke manor house is situated at the Klenckerweg between Oosterhesselen and Sleen. The word 'klencke' means a shallow spot in a river or brook. This probably refers to the Drostendiep adjoining the manor house. The Drostendiep is said to be named after one of the inhabitants of the house: Cornelis van Dongen tot de Klencke. He was the king’s representative from 1743 to 1748. This means he was the head of the ruling power in Drenthe. A manor house was a fortified residential building surrounded by land, inhabited by a noble family. The fields were leased to local farmers, who were allowed to work the land in return for a share of the harvest. There were also five farmsteads that belonged to De Klencke, and these were leased too. The inhabitants of the manor house had various rights: for instance, they were permitted to decide on who would carry out important jobs in the surrounding area, such as vicar, schoolteacher, verger and church warden. The manor house was given a political role at the start of the 17th century. The noblemen who wanted to join the Drenthe knighthood, had to live in a manor house. The Knighthood formed the governance of Drenthe. After 1644 it was decided that no more houses would be elevated to the status of manor house. This meant the power over Drenthe fell into the hands of a few noble families. Several families lived at De Klencke manor house. This was because the upkeep of a manor house was very costly. Once the owners could no longer afford the maintenance, they had to sell the house. Marriages could also cause the house to change hands. The last family to live here was the Van der Wijck family. At the start of the 20th century, the manor house was no longer used as a residence, but rented out instead. The manor house fulfilled various new roles, from youth hostel to youth shelter.
• After a look around the impressive manor house De Klencke, the route continues to Coevorden via Den Hool and Dalerveen.
• Coevorden started evolving in 1150 at a passable place in a river. Soon after, a castle was built in Coevorden to defend one of the few access points into Drenthe from the south. The castle is one of two to be built in Drenthe still in existence. 
  Well-known sights in addition to the castle are the inner and outer city canals with restored bastions, the Arsenaal (1643) with museum, the Reformed cruciform Church (1645), the 322-metre high water tower and the statues of Drie Podagristen in front of the castle and the Gooseherd on the Market.
• The cycling route guides you from Coevorden to Dalen. Within the current municipality of Coevorden, De Klencke was not the only manor house. Until 1914, there was a beautiful house at the Hoofdstraat in Dalen. The house was called ‘Het Kymmellshuis’ by the locals.
  In 1843, the drie podagristen described De Kymmellborg as a building with an authoritative appearance and a stone-hewn family crest above the door. The gardens they walked past were hidden behind tall hedges. Many generations of the prominent Kymmell regent family lived in this house.
• Dalen was originally a village green that has expanded considerably due to newly constructed housing estates. Despite this, there are still many characteristic farmsteads. The village can boast a large number of sights. The Dutch Reformed Church dates from the 14th century and is characterised by its immaculate interior. d'Aolle Bakkerij on the Hoofdstraat, now a bistro, has an old baker’s oven with accessories from 1832 on display. Dalen is known as the ‘village among the mills’. The village has two nearby mills: the Jan Pol tower mill from 1876 and De Bente tower mill from 1814. Both mills are still operational and can be viewed at certain times.

• The next place along the map is Gees. Gees is home to the largest glacial erratic in the Netherlands. This historical example weighs as much as 35 tonnes and is 2.30 m high, 3.90 m long and 2.75 metre wide. Gees was established in 1210. Up to about 1860, Gees was the most important village in the region. Gees is mainly known for its old farmsteads. Twelve farms have bee awarded monument status and there are dozens of sheds and sheepfolds that are absolutely worth a visit.
• The next ‘stop’ along the Klencker route is in Oosterhesselen. Oosterhesselen was established at the same time as Gees. The church in the village is remarkable as it has a separate church tower dating back to the 15th century. The inside of the church bears the Van In- en Kniphausen family crest: the owners of De Klencke. Partly thanks to them, Oosterhesselen became more important than Gees.
  The crossing of the Hoogeveen-Nieuw-Amsterdam and Coevorden-Assen tramlines gave the village the nickname of ‘Klein-Utrecht’.
• The route leads you to Aalden via the grasslands of Beekdal Kerkhorsten. This natural landscape is a lot more humid. Thanks to the iron-rich seep, this area is now home to plants such as the marsh marigold, water violet and water horsetail. There are common snipes, deer and dozens of dragonfly species; in other words: a magnificent brook valley.
• The Aalden mill is situated on the southwest side of Aalden. This hill mill was built in 1891 after a predecessor burnt down after a heavy thunderstorm. To the south of the village are centuries-old farmsteads. The best-known farmstead is the ‘Hoes van Hol An’ from 1688. The Brink with its old sheepfold and old weigh house lies adjacent to the old farmstead.
• The route leads from Aalden to Zweeloo. This is the Drenthe village Vincent van Gogh visited on a day trip from Nieuw-Amsterdam in 1883. He was inspired by the little Reformed church that reminded him of the painting L’Eglise de Greville by Jean-Francoise Millet he saw in Paris. It is where he created the ‘Reformed Church in Zweeloo’, that reminded him of the painting L’Eglise de Greville by Jean-Francoise Millet he saw in Paris. He captured the church in a beautiful sketch. Zweeloo has moved with modern times, but it is still very clear from the Brink that this was a very picturesque place in the 19th century and even before. Zweeloo is the last village on this cycling route. Use Hub points 67 and 72 to continue your route back to ‘De Klencke’.