Estate in wartime: Beeckestijn

In the period leading up to the occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch soldiers were quartered in the manor house of the Beeckestijn estate. This marked the beginning of the mansion’s decline — the once-elegant house suffered noticeable damage from its temporary military use.

The choice to station troops in the manor house was no coincidence. The estate was located along the Rijksweg (national road) from Haarlem to IJmuiden and Amsterdam — a very strategic point.

The Rijksweg later ran straight through the German defensive line of bunkers, anti-tank ditches, and minefields. This vulnerable passage was secured by a so-called Walzkorpersperre, protected by flamethrowers and Goliath Ladungsträger (small remote-controlled tanks carrying explosive charges) buried around it. A Walzkorpersperre was a defensive checkpoint that could completely close off a road using two large concrete blocks, sealing the defense line.

In the Krommeland meadow south of the estate, several bunkers were constructed along the anti-tank ditch. One of these, a gun bunker (Schartenstand) type 680, housed a 7.5 cm Pak 40 — a formidable anti-tank gun used against Allied tanks and armored vehicles. The soldiers defending this southeastern section of the Festung were housed in personnel bunkers on the estate grounds.

Remarkably, the manor house itself was not demolished. Instead, it was camouflaged — trees were painted on its exterior walls to make it blend into the landscape. However, it had long ceased to be livable. All remaining bunkers on the estate have since been concealed and are no longer visible or accessible.

Today, the estate and its park are well worth a visit. The mansion now houses a museum, while the former stables and coach house serve as a café and restaurant — a perfect stop along your journey.