Celtic fields and witch trials - Someren 24 km

Celtic fields and witch hunts with an extension to about 25 km

On the Strabrechtse Heide you can still see how large parts of North Brabant used to be. As you step through the moors, you sometimes walk in ancient footsteps, because part of the route leads you past the Hoenderboom and the celtic fields that once lay here.

Witch hunt at the Hoenderboom
The borders of five surrounding municipalities once came together at the Hoenderboom. You can recognize this place by the copy of the old border marker that stood here. You can see the Grafven near the Hoenderboom. Where the dragonflies now skim peacefully over the water, a number of women were reportedly murdered at the end of the sixteenth century on charges of witchcraft.

The ancient Strabrechtse Heide
The Strabrechtse Heide is the largest contiguous heathland in North Brabant. You walk along dry and moist heathland, fens and shifting sand. You will find flowers such as the beautifully blooming bell gentian, which the rare gentian blue likes to flutter around. On the edge of the heath you walk through a fragrant forest of Scots pines, spruces and larches.

The Discovery of Celtic Fields
If you walk along the Hoenderboom, you walk further back in history than you think. Agriculture has been practiced here since the Iron Age! At that time there were so-called Celtic fields, or comb fields: small contiguous fields on which primitive grains such as emmer wheat and spelled were grown at the time. The fields were surrounded by a low wall. Remains of these walls were found in 2013. It is the first discovery of Celtic fields in North Brabant. A good moment to reflect on the rich cultural history of this heathland.