Warffum, Uithuizen and Usquert

Warffum is a very old village, with a history dating back to the sixth century BC. The village was then still right on the coast. The first inhabitants were farmers who settled on the large, high salt marsh wall. To adequately protect themselves against danger from the sea, the early Warffumers raised their residences. Artificial hills were created to provide a dry place at high tide. A number of these mounds were connected to each other. This is how the mound village of Warffum was created, surrounded by a wreath of house mounds. In terms of size and height, Warffum is one of the largest mound villages in the Netherlands. The first dikes were not constructed in this area until around 1200.

Justice was also administered early in Warffum. Warf is an old Frisian word for a people's meeting where justice was pronounced. Another explanation for the place name Warffum is warf in the meaning of height or elevation and um as home or place of residence. In the case of Warffum, a combination of both explanations is also possible: an elevated place where justice is administered.

The first church was built here in the 11th century, but the current church tower of Warffum dates from 1638. This approximately 45 meter high tower with a weather vane in the shape of a sea horse is an important landmark. The pastor who lived in the Weem or parsonage farm was an important person in the village. The medieval Weem van Warffum - now Pastorieweg 24 - has been preserved and beautifully restored.

You follow the dike north of Warffum for a long way along the Wadden Sea, on the way to Uithuizen. First you pass through the Noordpolder with the fishing port of Noordpolderzijl. The ships that have their home port here have the letter code UQ for Usquert. They are shrimp fishermen, but until the ban in 1962, seal hunting was also carried out from Noordpolderzijl.

With 5,600 inhabitants, Uithuizen is the largest center in the region. The village arose on a salt marsh wall and for a long time the buildings were concentrated around the main road and the harbour. Over the centuries, construction increased and the village acquired contiguous buildings with an urban character.

The village attracts many visitors every year, partly thanks to the beautiful Menkemaborg, which you can visit by bike. This hamlet from the seventeenth/eighteenth century is completely furnished in the style of that time. The deposit has a beautiful garden, which has also been restored in the old style. The borg attracts many visitors every year.

Also take a look at Uithuizen itself, you will find four churches there. In the center is the Jacobi Church, which dates from the thirteenth century. The organ from around 1700 is by the world-famous organ builder Arp Schnitger. It is one of the most original surviving instruments from his oeuvre. The connection between the Jacobi Church and the Menkemaborg is reflected, among other things, in the very richly carved church interior with pulpit and men's pew. If you want to visit the Jacobi Church, you must contact the tourist office.

Another nice sight here is Garden de Winter, landscaped in a romantic English style. Ducks swim in the pond and the banks are covered with lush vegetation. Walking through the garden you will encounter special trees and shrubs, perennial borders, pergolas with roses and clematis and there are many types of fuchsias and various container plants everywhere. The garden is 5,000 square meters in size and you will therefore need some time to see everything. Take a look at the site to see when the garden is open to visitors.

You will soon cycle into Usquert with its beautiful Protestant Church. The origins of this hall church lie in the Middle Ages. The old vaults have been replaced by wooden, plastered barrel vaults. Remnants of murals from the late Middle Ages are visible on the east wall. Mary and Peter can be recognized in a fragment from the Last Judgment. A modern work of art on the north side of the church tells the story of Liudger and Bernlef.

The former Town Hall of Usquert is also worth a look, which was built in 1930 by Berlage. It has a tower with two bells. There is a nice story about the construction of the tower. During construction, the shapes of the tower appeared not to meet aesthetic expectations. This problem was solved by making the tower a little higher. The additional costs were estimated by the contractor at NLG 1,200. The Council of the municipality of Usquert was not prepared to pay these additional costs, so Berlage made this amount available from his own wallet!