Peatland Polder
The celebrated aesthetic of the polder landscape of the Netherlands is perhaps best exemplified by the Mastenbroek Polder: lines extending into the distance, great expanses of space and an uncluttered horizon. Though it is a medieval peatland polder, the land parcellation pattern strongly resembles that of later land reclamations.

Empty spaces
Starting in 1364, the land surveyor Frederik Stoyveken subdivided, drained and cultivated the boggy peatland area. Three parallel watercourses were dug across the area, by which the drainage was achieved. A system of transverse watercourses ran at right angles to these ribbons. The planting was limited to the plots of land along the watercourses, thus leaving 'empty' spaces of a few square kilometres in the polder.

Compaction
The rational reclamation system was not extended right to the edge of the area. The polder displays a subtle irregularity because the intersections always being staggered. Another unusual sight are the farmhouses that stand on 'terps' - raised earth mounds - ranged along the watercourses. After the poldering the land was higher than the surroundings. In the centuries that followed, the ground began to subside because of the compaction of the peat and the groundwater level moved closer to the surface.

Future
A solution for this continuous subsidence needs to be sought. Besides, developments in agriculture and encroaching urbanization from Zwolle and Kampen are to make their mark on the future lay-out and the qualities of this extensive polder landscape.

Theme Aesthetics

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