Over the Peelrand Fault and along the Vlier

The Peelrand Fault, a geological fault line from Roermond to Heesch, runs through the middle of Deurne, which owes its name to the Peel. The Peel Edge Fault has a major influence on the Brabant landscape. It has influenced nature, the landscape and even the people who live there for thousands of years. The Peel Edge Fault has also influenced the location of medieval roads. Connecting roads, such as the Haageind, were constructed on the dry west side of the Peelrand Fault.

Several castles can be found along these old roads. The Large and Small Castle in Deurne, which you walk past, are examples of this. The moats of these castles were filled by the seepage water from the Peelrand Fault.
This walk goes via the Kasteelpark and the Heiakkerpark to the outskirts of Deurne and along the banks of the Vlier. The great decline of this stream is due to the Peel Edge Fault. The watermill at the Klein Kasteel is powered by this stream. During your walk you will sometimes see rust-colored water in a number of places: caused by the deep groundwater that rises to the surface and oxidizes there in contact with oxygen.

The walk then continues through the rural area of Deurne to and through the church village of Zeilberg, past one of the large boulders found here. In the Zeilberg, potters already in the 17th century used the water that flowed via so-called canne tubes from the high side of the Peelrand Fault (the horst) to the low side (the rift). Some canna tubes can be admired in the visitors center of the Ossenbeemd and were found in the vicinity of the railway crossing not far from junction 79. From the Zeilberg you walk through the Heiakkerpark and then back to the Ossenbeemd. A double row of trees in the Heiakker Park indicates the exact location of the Peel Edge Fault. Especially in the spring, when these trees are in full bloom, a beautiful sight.

(Shortening route: if you walk from junction 76 directly to junction 77, the route is about 2 km shorter).