Protected townscape

The protection of (national) monuments focuses on safeguarding the architectural image and preserving the authenticity of the material. It is also possible to protect areas of special historical character under the 1988 Monuments Act. This involves the preservation of urban or cultural landscape characteristics. Such areas are called protected city or village views. The law defines protected town and village views as "Groups of immovable properties that are of general interest because of their beauty, their mutual spatial or structural cohesion, or their scientific or cultural-historical value, and in which groups there are one or more monuments.

The protection of protected village views and monuments cannot replace each other, but complement each other. In a protected sight there are often monumental buildings, but it is not the case that every building in that area is protected as a (national) monument. A protected villagescape is not only about the individual buildings, which represent a certain value; it is about the mutual coherence and the accompanying structure or construction, which has a cultural-historical significance.

Wassenaar has two protected villagescapes

Since 1967, the village center has been a protected village sight. Specific to this is the location of the 12th century village church on an open and green meadow, which once belonged to the Duinrell estate. Central next to it is the square with the village pump, on which several streets lead. Along it a varied development of buildings has developed with highlights such as the 18th-century Baljuwhuis with park and coach house, 't Regthuys and the vicarage. Small-scale dwellings and stores also play a role. In 2007, the so-called Landgoederenzone, which extends over Wassenaar, Voorschoten and Leischendam-Voorburg was given a protected status. The emphasis here is on the agricultural landscape so characteristic of Wassenaar, interspersed with its leafy country estates, its extensive estates and varied villa districts. Following the national government's protection of the landgoederenzone, the municipal council designated the area around Meijendel farm as a municipal protected sight in 2007. This was intended to guide developments in the valley and safeguard the cultural-historical values within the nature reserve.

Questions?

Do you have questions about cultural heritage? Email that to erfgoed@wassenaar.nl.