Route 27: The dykes Ter Apel

History can be found all around Ter Apel. The monastery and its associated monastery farms, the Leidijken, the former railway line, the bunkers (casemates) and, last but not least, the ancient forests. During this walk, you’ll be introduced to this history, some aspects of which are highlighted below.

The Leidijk. In earlier times, the Leidijk (from the 17th century) held the water of the raised bog, thus making the area inaccessible to the enemy and thus had a military strategic function as a defence line (Redoute Barnflair = small field entrenchment). Earlier, it protected the area against flooding from the Eems (Germany). During your walk, you will walk over parts of the Leidijk, imagining that soldiers used to stand guard here to prevent the Leidijk from being breached (see the route description at points 3, 4 and 5). The former municipality of Vlagtwedde and Landschapsbeheer Groningen have restored the Redoute Barnflair (near house de Batterij, at point 3).

The Second World War. At a few locations along Route 27 , you will find bunkers (also known as casemates) as remnants of the Second World War (see route description under points 2 and 11). There is also a memorial spire near the German border (next to the petrol station) commemorating those who fell between 1940 and 1956 (see the route description at points 2).

During World War II, a camp of the N.A.D (Dutch Labour Service) was set up near the entrance to Middelbroek forest. The aim here was to educate young men in the spirit of National Socialism. Among other things, the young men had to build dykes around the flow fields of the nearby potato flour factory. The camp was demolished again at the end of 1944 and nothing remains of it. The location where the camp stood is next to the car park where this walk starts.

Potato flour industry. Ter Apel only began to grow after the Stadskanaal was extended to it in 1856. Peat extraction and the potato flour industry brought new buildings of mansions, workers' houses and farms of the Oldambster type, in ribbons along the canal.

The potato flour industry has now disappeared from Ter Apel again, leaving behind a complex of former blotting fields (now private land, on the south-east side of Ter Apel), which has developed into a true bird paradise (see route description at points 4 and 12).

Former railway line between Ter Apel and the national border. There is currently much discussion about the construction of new rail links from the Randstad to the north and from there to Germany. People were already thinking ahead in the early 1900s, which ultimately led to the construction of a railway line between Ter Apel and the national border by the Groningsch-Drentsche Spoorwegmaatschappij Stadskanaal-Ter Apel–Rijksgrens (STAR). It was envisaged that Germany would extend the railway line to Haren (Emsland), but this did not happen due to the economic crisis. The Ter Apel–national border section was therefore closed again on 15 May 1926 (two years after its opening in 1924), making it one of the shortest-lived railway lines in the Netherlands. During your walk, you will cross this old railway line several times (see route description at points 1, 2, 9, 10 and 12).

Near the German border, remnants of the old railway bridge over the Haren-Rütenbrock Canal can still be seen. This bridge was destroyed during the liberation in 1945 and was never repaired (see route description under point 2). The station building, which was built close to the border, burnt down in 1984. A Chinese restaurant now stands on the site. The customs building next to the station is still there, however. Beyond the station, the railway line continued for a further 300 metres, right up to the national border.

The Lourdes Grotto. Ter Apel has traditionally been partly a Catholic enclave. As well as a Roman Catholic church, Ter Apel is also home to a ‘genuine’ Lourdes Grotto, located in the hamlet of Laudermarke. The Lourdes Grotto began in 1935 as a small statue of the Virgin Mary in a wooden niche. After the war, it fell into disrepair. A few farmers from Laudermarke then built the Lourdes Grotto (out of gratitude that the young men of Laudermarke had been spared from forced labour in Germany); it was consecrated in 1958 and thoroughly restored in 2023. During your walk, you will pass this Lourdes Grotto (see route description at point 6).

The Ter Apel woods. There are several ancient woods around Ter Apel through which this walking route runs (in part). The Roelagerbos is one of the oldest forests in Ter Apel. It is said that there was already a forest here around the year 800. However, the first recorded references to it are only found on topographical maps from the 16th century. The enormous variety of trees, shrubs and ground cover is a reflection of the forest’s age (see route description at point 7).

The Tempelbos is one of the smaller woods in Ter Apel. ‘Tempel’ is an Old Dutch word meaning something like ‘a piece of land tapering to a point’ and therefore has nothing to do with a temple or chapel that (according to some) is said to have stood here in the past. This woodland is mentioned as early as the beginning of the 17th century (see route description at point 9).

The name Vosse(n)berg appears as early as 1739 on topographical maps and, at 13.5 metres above mean sea level, is one of the highest-lying areas in the province of Groningen. In the past, this area was home to many foxes. Their dens were safe from high water levels (see route description at point 10). The Middelbroekbos used to be a rugged and marshy area. It was not until after 1870 that the city of Groningen began to cultivate, reclaim and afforest this area (see the route description at point 4). In 1916, drainage fields were laid out in part of this area to serve the potato starch factory that was in operation at the time. This site has since become a beautiful nature reserve.

’t Schot (formerly known as Ossenschot) is a hamlet situated in a wooded area of the same name that falls within the municipality of Ter Apel. Its origins are linked to the founding of the monastery in the 15th century. The name refers to a ‘schot’, which is a stable or barn. The monks from the monastery used to let their livestock graze here. The current sandy path running through ’t Schot used to be the only connecting route (heirweg) between Ter Apel Monastery and the German diocese of Münster. Until 1883, a toll had to be paid to use this road. During your walk, you will follow a section of the old military road (see route description at point 13).

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This is a route of the Walking in Westerwolde Foundation.You can still sign up as a sponsor for this route. Mail to info@wandeleninwesterwolde.nl