Schoonrewoerd
Jan van Arkel founded this village on the border of Gelderland and Holland in the year 1025. Together with Kedichem and the hamlet of Oosterwijk, it forms the municipality of Leerdam. Close to the village lies the Diefdijk, which for centuries has protected Schoonrewoerd from flooding. One of the most beautiful scourholes and certainly the largest one in the Netherlands is the Schoonrewoerd scourhole or ‘Wiel van Bassa’. It was formed by a dike breach, which in the past often occurred in this area. The force of the water created deep holes behind the dike which are called ‘wielen’ [scourholes].
There is a footpath around the scourhole which also passes along standard-tree orchards, the Dordtse Huis, the farmhouse Het Kruithof and the former water board office, which bears the arms of Holland and the Alblasserwaard. De Natuur- en Vogelwacht [Society for the protection of Birds and Nature] Vijfheerenlanden manages the visitors’ centre De Schaapskooi [The Sheep Shed] just outside Schoonrewoerd. Starting from the visitors’ centre there are various walks and cycle trips to be made through the enclosed polder landscape with its willow beds, flower-filled grasslands and small woods or coppices providing timber for own use.
