traditional farms (in Winsum)

Winsum is a village in the north of Groningen, on the Winsumerdiep, an old watercourse that once linked it to the sea, and it is often named among the most attractive villages in the province. Its charm lies in the combination of old farms, a church, windmills and the waterway, set in the open clay landscape of the Hogeland. The traditional farms are a good example of the buildings that define this part of the Netherlands, and a walk or ride through the village shows how the farming economy shaped the place.

The farmland of northern Groningen is some of the richest in the country. The clay soil, built up by the sea over centuries, supported prosperous farming, particularly of grain, and the farmers built large, sturdy farmhouses to show their wealth and to house their harvests. The typical farm has a long brick body, a tiled or sometimes thatched roof and a huge barn attached to the living quarters, so that people, animals and crops were all under one roof. Many of them are protected national monuments, and they are often set among old trees that give shelter from the wind.

Most of the farms are private, and some are still in use for agriculture, while others have been restored as homes or guest accommodation, and a few offer bed and breakfast. This means that visitors will usually see them from the road or the path, and should respect the privacy of the residents. A walk or bike ride along the quiet lanes around the village is the best way to see them, with the farmhouses appearing between the fields and the tree-lined roads. The detail of the brickwork, the gables and the barn doors rewards a slow pace, and the light on the open land is particularly good in the evening.

In Winsum itself, other features add to a visit. The Winsumerdiep, the waterway that runs through the village, is lined with old houses and has boats moored in summer, and there are windmills and old churches in the village and nearby. The surrounding villages of the Hogeland are famous for their medieval churches, many with unusual towers, and for the terps, the artificial mounds on which villages were built to escape floods. The coast and the Wadden Sea are only a short ride away.

The farms suit cyclists, walkers, photographers and visitors interested in rural architecture and landscape. Allow an hour or two for Winsum, and combine it with a longer ride through the Hogeland to see more villages. Bring a camera and a windproof jacket.