Vlissingen boomerang Borssele, Ritthem and Niedorp

Departure towards the St. Nickolas chapel, this intimate church was founded by The Mission to Seamen, which was connected to the Angelican church. The current organization, Mission to Seafarers, focuses on sheltering sailors. It will therefore not surprise you that the chapel is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of seafarers. A kilometer further, at the mouth of the former Welzinge canal that gave access to the port of Middelburg, is Fort Rammekens. The fort used to be called Zeeburg and in 1496 it was not yet a fort, but a bay where ships moored. It is the oldest existing sea fort in Western Europe. Fort Rammekens was built in 1547 to protect and control the busy shipping routes to Antwerp and Middelburg. The fortress was built over the former sea dike in the shape of a diamond. A bastion with thick walls in which cannons could be placed was built, facing the Western Scheldt. At the end of the walls, semi-bastions with cannons had been built, which were given an earthen cover in the time after Napoleon. A lot of natural stone was used in the construction of the fort because it was more resistant to salt water and for defense the fort was given a moat on the inland side. After 1560, Fort Rammekens was in the hands of the Spanish, French and English, but in 1814 it became Dutch property again. The defensive function was abolished in 1869, but continued to be used as a powder magazine. When you have almost completed the boomerang, you will see the Hope and Expectation mill in Borssele. This octagonal ground sailor was built in 1714 to replace a fallen post mill. Although the mill was built on behalf of the municipality of Goes, the mill became privately owned and remained so until 1976. The then miller died in an accident on the mill site that year and the mill was purchased by the municipality in 1980. The flour mill is still milling.