Monastery Jokes Route

After the departure of the Romans from the Netherlands in the early 5th century, the brick industry that the Romans had developed here also disappeared. They continued to build with wood, reed, loam and sod. In the course of the Middle Ages, the need for stone as a building material increased again and slate and tuff were brought from neighboring countries. Until the monks in the monasteries in the Northern Netherlands developed a baking process with the clay that is abundantly present here and used it to bake the so-called'monastery dolls\\\'. An appropriate name for the brick. That was around the 12th century. For the first time in Friesland and later also in the coastal regions in Groningen. The monastery mop had a decent size of 35x16x10 cm, with a weight of about 10 kilos.

In addition to baking, the monks also engaged in the development of primitive dike construction and raising the living areas to wierden (terps in Friesland), as protection against the regular flooding of the surrounding land. It was the monks from the local monasteries who made the Groningen countryside habitable over time.

From 1600, the more than thirty dilapidated and abandoned monasteries in the province of Groningen were used as suppliers of the monastic jokes for the construction of new stone houses, farms and baileys. Dikes were also repaired and roads built. Only four remnants of monastic buildings remain. Of these, the monastery building in Ter Apel is the most complete. The others can be found in Aduard, Ten Boer and Thesinge.

The cycle route leads you past a number of medieval churches that have been built or rebuilt with the so-called monastic jokes. Most are on a mound. It is sometimes necessary to deviate from the route for a visit. Some churches are open or refer to a key address. More detailed information is often given in or near the church.

Be surprised by the simplicity of the construction of some churches and the sometimes rich interiors and special organs.

Description, sights and things worth knowing

The route starts in the heart of Appingedam, in the Wijkstraat near the Nicolaikerk. Opposite the church you will find the VVV office and the'Stad Appingedam\\\' museum. Appingedam is described in more detail on the website'tasmanroutes.nl\\\' under the heading'moorings\\\'.

The oldest part of the Nicolaïkerk dates from the 13th century. There was probably a church before that. Built against it is the Town Hall from 1630 in a late Renaissance style. The church has taken many forms over the centuries. From hall church to a cruciform church at the end of the 13th century, converted into the current hall church in the 15th century, and supplemented in the 16th century with the Joseph chapel on the north side and the Maria chapel on the south side.

The Reduction of Groningen in 1594 (transition to Protestantism) has made the appearance of the Catholic period disappear in the church and before that in 

in its place came a richly carved pulpit, baptismal garden and gentlemen's pews. During the restoration in the fifties of the last century, after the removal of the lime layers in the vaults, beautiful frescoes were found. The church has a beautiful Hinsz organ, which has recently been restored. In the two chapels are two choir organs of a more recent date.

In the tower next to the church, dating from 1835, there is a carillon with 51 bells in addition to three bells. This was also located in the earlier tower that had to be demolished due to dilapidation. The first bells were made in 1620 by the bell founder François Simon.

With the church on your left, drive out of Wijkstraat and turn right into Kniestraat. You drive straight on over the Damsterdiep. On the right, above the water, you can see the famous 'hanging kitchens of Appingedam'. Then turn left onto the Corn. Albert Street. At the end, turn left onto the Fivelkade along the deep. At cycle junction 26, the route continues, always along the water, to point 66.

Just before junction 66, you will pass Museum Möhlmann on your right, a museum for realistic and figurative art. Very worthwhile.

The route continues towards junction 81. In Tjamsweerd you will pass the church. (To get to the church you have to leave the route for a while, after the roundabout turn left onto the Dominee Sijperdapad.) The church was built in 1538 by order of Unico Ripperda, as collator of the church, after the previous one was built around 1140. church was destroyed by the soldiers of the Duke of Guelders. The beautiful tower was commissioned by Margaretha Bouwina Rengers van het Huis te Farmsum in 1776. The church and tower underwent a thorough restoration in 2016. Behind the plaster on the outside, walls with monastic jokes hide.

The interior of the church has beautiful paneling and two gentlemen's pews with the coats of arms of the Ripperda and Rengers families. The organ was designed by the organ builder van Oeckelen and was donated by the noble family Alberda van Ekenstein. They lived in the Ekenstein estate on the Damsterdiep, not far from the church. This deposit is now used as a hotel-restaurant. On the west side of the wierde is an almshouse from 1873. In the cemetery around the church is a monumental crypt belonging to the Alberda van Ekenstein family.

The route continues on the Tjamweersterweg, which is later called Damsterweg. After the railway crossing, follow this road in the direction of Oosterwijtwerd and junction 99.

You have to go off the route and enter the village to view the Mariakerk van Oosterwijtwerd. This Romanesque is one of the oldest brick churches in the province of Groningen, probably dates from the 12th century and stands on a mound in the middle of the village. The last restoration of the interior was in 2015. After the collapse of the loose bell tower, a roof turret was placed on the church around 1665, on which is a wind vane belonging to the noble Ripperda family. These were the collator of the church and had their deposit in Oosterwijtwerd. The church is still completely original and is now owned by the Old Groninger Churches Foundation. This foundation now owns many old churches, towers and cemeteries and takes care of the management. In the interior there is a gentleman's sofa and a mourning board by Carol Victor Ripperda from the 17th century. The original cabinet organ of the famous organ builder Christian Müller was eventually converted into a church organ for the Mariakerk after many changes and was given a makeover in 1996 by organ builder De Graaf.

Back on the route, go via Schoolweg to point 99 and at junction 65 turn right on Dieftilweg to Leermens. Via the Wierdeweg you will reach the Donatuskerk, named after the holy Donatus of Arezzo, on one of the highest wierden in Groningen. The ring road along the foot of the wierde, which can be reached along the Kerkpad, invites you to take a short walk.

The construction of the Donatus Church started in 1055 and the building material consists of tuff and monastery mops. The side walls still consist of the original tuff. It is a romano-gothic building. There is now a roof turret on the church. Previously, two spires stood on the westwork, which are depicted on a communion tray from 1653, etched by Cornelis Pieters. The interior of the church is richly decorated with paintings and the vault in the choir has a varied masonry mosaic, with a rosette with the Ghent Altarpiece in the center and the four evangelists around it. Under the choir is a crypt that probably belonged to the lords of the Bolsiersema estate in Leermens. Under the 17th century pulpit is a hatch to a cellar that served as a shelter for people in hiding during the Second World War. The Van Oeckelen organ from 1873 was destroyed by a fire in 1957. It was not until 1964 that a Van Vulpen organ was completed.

After viewing the Donatuskerk, go straight ahead to the foot of the mound and then turn right onto the Tuindersweg. At the second exit, turn left into Kapslaan. You continue to follow it until you pass the high-voltage line. There the avenue changes into the Leermstermeedenpad. The path leads with a'hoogholtje\\\' over the Godlinzermaar and then via the Kloosterweg and the hamlet of Arwerd to Krewerd. Maybe time to relax in the tearoom'Het Pronkje\\\' on the Pastorieweg.

The Mariakerk in Krewerd was built at the end of the 13th century according to a recorded building history in the'Chronicle of Klooster Bloemhof Wittewierum\\\' by Abbot Emo from the 13th century. It is a Romano-Gothic church with a tower from 1400 in Gothic style. The old bell was removed from the tower by the German occupiers in 1943 and unfortunately melted down for war material. The interior of the church contains a pew belonging to the noble family of Ripperda, which, as in several churches on this route, has had the right of collation. This meant, among other things, that they had the right to appoint the ministers. It is very likely that they acquired the rights on the basis of a false charter. The second oldest playable organ in the Netherlands stands on the stone choir in the church. The front of the organ gives the impression that there are many pipes, but these are partly painted on the shutters on either side. The church has two beautiful Romano-Gothic vaults with round ribs and a washer with a rosette. The church is no longer used for Sunday worship services, but is used by its own organization in the village, the Krewerd on the Map Foundation, for all kinds of cultural activities. That is why the current owner, the Stichting Oude Groninger Kerken, recently invested in the construction of sewerage for the installation of a toilet and a kitchen.

The route continues via the Holwierderweg to junction 27. There, straight on to Holwierde. After the big bend to the left, the name of the road changes to'Krewerderweg\\\'. It passes under the national road and ends in Holwierde on the main road. There you turn left.

On the right you will pass the church of Holwierde, which is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. This is one of the oldest churches in the province of Groningen. The church is also mentioned in the Chronicle of Klooster Bloemhof Wittewierum by Abbot Emo. The church is located high on the mound of the village. Originally built of tuff, of which many remnants remain. Not much is known about its history. The church was expanded in the 14th century with a transept, which gives the church a cross shape. A rood screen was also added as a balcony for the organ and placed in front of the choir of the church. The church originally had a so-called Juffertoren, as there was also one in Godlinze and is still standing in Onstwedde and Schildwolde. The Juffertoren in Holwierde collapsed in 1836. The towers are characterized by a brick spire. The church contains a number of sarcophagus lids and interesting gravestones. The church was heavily damaged during the liberation in 1945, but was quickly rebuilt to its current state. The monumental organ was also destroyed, but restored and is now placed on the west side of the church.

The route continues via the Hoofdweg until a Y-shaped three-fork. There you turn left onto the Nansumerweg. After a few hundred meters at the next three-fork keep right to Nansum. At the right-angle intersection, turn right into Nansumerweg. The route now goes towards Marsum. (On the left, past the intersection with the national road, lies the village of Nansum.) At the next three-fork, turn right onto the Marsumerweg. At a certain point the road turns into a paved path, straight ahead to Marsum. Bunkers can be seen on both sides of Marsumerweg. These are the parts of the Navigation Station Groningen of the Royal Netherlands Air Force that were abandoned in 1964.

Marsum has a protected village view. The village itself was almost completely destroyed during the French period during the siege of Delfzijl in 1813-1814. The wierde on which the church stands was largely excavated in the early 20th century. The Mauritius Church of Marsum is one of the most beautiful medieval churches in Groningen.

After Marsum, the route takes Holwierderweg and Fivelweg back to Appingedam, to junction 79. From that junction, follow the route through Appingedam to junction 77. But at the intersection with Wijkstraat (a right-angle three-fork) turn right, instead of turn left. This will bring you back to the starting point of the cycle route.