With Manure and Fork Route

One of the oldest cultural landscapes in the Netherlands stretches above the Reitdiep. The area has been inhabited since 600 BC. The residents here shape the landscape to their liking. To literally keep their heads above water, they built mounds. The most important buildings, the churches, were built at the highest point. They still stand out high above the rest of the villages. From the free parking lot you cycle to Borg Verhildersum. The borg consists of a beautiful building and beautiful land where, among other things, a workers' house can be seen. A beautiful, symmetrical garden has been laid out around the castle, whose history dates back to the fourteenth century. It shows a carriage house, a treasure house and a garden gazebo. That garden gazebo was once a tram house in Haren, but was given a suitable repurposing purpose here. Figurative, abstract female statues decorate the garden, while flowers and plants grow in the borders. There is also a special part of the garden where herbs are grown. Canals have been constructed around the castle and around the sculpture garden and you can walk around the outer canal, because a walking path has been constructed there. This leads past a dovecote. In 2013, the castle houses a museum, but there is also a shop and a tearoom. The building is decorated in nineteenth-century style. Every year in August, the 'historic days' are celebrated here, focusing on life between 1850 and 1950. In Zuurdijk you will then see the De Zwaluw tower mill. The mill was built in 1858 and was used as a grist and husking mill. The mill fell into serious disrepair in the second half of the 20th century. The Association De Hollandse Molen became owner in 1974 and had the mill restored in 1976. The mill then operated occasionally again, but quickly fell into disrepair again. The wick system was adjusted during a second restoration, and finally the hood was repaired during the 3rd restoration. The mill has been in use again since April 26, 2012. There are no fixed opening hours for the Zwaluw. You continue your cycle tour and pass through the mound village of Oldehove, which has approximately 1,600 inhabitants. A beautiful sight in this village is the Ludgerus Church, a church from the thirteenth century and a tower from the 15th century. The village also has two octagonal mills, Aeolus (1846) and De Leeuw (1855). Behind the Ludgerus Church there is another war memorial that is definitely worth seeing. Through the pleasant hustle and bustle of the Roodehaan marina and camping site, you will once again come across a tower mill in Mensin Rifle. This mill, called Hollands Welvaart, is a tower mill built in 1855. It was used as a grist and husking mill. The mill was privately owned until 1969. The last private owner then sold the mill to the then municipality of Leens for the symbolic amount of 1 guilder. The mill was completely restored in early 2001. It was then given new roofs, new rods and an almost entirely new position. From Easter to October, Hollands Welvaart is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but viewing is also possible by appointment. The final sight is a church from the thirteenth century. Until 1975,'t Marnehoes was used as a Dutch Reformed Church. Since its restoration in 1985, the church has been used as a cultural center. A stage has been installed and the interior has been completed, but weddings and the occasional funeral ceremony still take place. T Marnehoes is often praised for its good acoustics and is therefore a popular location for performances and parties.