Lijnden: Waterways and Pumping-Station History

In Lijnden, waterways and technological history come together in a shared landscape. The Hoofdvaart runs past Lijnden from north to south, the Ringvaart is designated municipal heritage of the Haarlemmermeer municipality, and Gemaal De Lynden is located at the northern junction. Water management and the formation of the landscape are spatially interconnected here. QuatreBeach is located in the former pumping station.

Waterways and heritage in Lijnden

The Hoofdvaart is a 20-kilometre-long canal. In the north, it meets the Ringvaart at Gemaal De Lynden in Lijnden. After the Haarlemmermeer was drained, the Hoofdvaart was dug in 1852. Since 2017, the Ringvaart has been designated municipal heritage of the Haarlemmermeer municipality. At the northern junction, the Hoofdvaart, Gemaal De Lynden and Ringvaart come together spatially.

Days by the water in Lijnden

Between Lijnden and Zwanenburg, an approximately 2-kilometre-long jaagpad runs alongside the Ringvaart and is now used as a walking trail. At around two kilometres, this waterside route is considerably shorter than the Hoofdvaart and can be planned as a manageable stretch by the water. Along the Ringvaart Haarlemmermeer, there is a cycle route as well as several waterside walking trails. The tourist route “Rondje Ringvaart Haarlemmermeer” passes through Lijnden, among other places. For planning a day out, a short walk, a cycle route and a tourist circular route are therefore available alongside one another in the same waterside landscape. At the corner of Hoofdweg Westzijde, where the Lijnderdijk transitions into the Akerdijk, there is a waterside seating area with a charging station for e-bikes. At this spot, a break by the shore can be combined with charging an e-bike.

Pumping-station history at the Haarlemmermeer

Gemaal De Lynden was one of three steam pumping stations that contributed to draining the Haarlemmermeer between 1849 and 1852. As part of this system, De Lynden represented a shared technical task rather than an isolated individual facility. The history of the pumping station is therefore closely connected with the formation of the landscape around the Haarlemmermeer. The Hoofdvaart and the pumping station belong to the same phase of water management.

Transformer house and technological development

The transformer house was built to electrify a centrifugal pump at Gemaal De Lynden and to supply electricity to the hamlet of Lijnden. J.B. van Loghem designed the transformer house in 1919. This means that the steam pumping stations and this building represent different technological phases: the steam pumping stations contributed to the drainage, while the transformer house later served to electrify a centrifugal pump. The year of construction, 1919, therefore falls clearly after the drainage and dates the later electrification.

Dining in the former pumping station

QuatreBeach is located in the former pumping station in Lijnden. The industrial interior design is contrasted there with a wooden terrace covered with sand. QuatreBeach offers breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner. Breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner cover several parts of the day. The interior, terrace and daily offerings combine the former use of the pumping station with a present-day dining experience.

Halfweg, Zwanenburg, Vijfhuizen, Hoofddorp, Nieuw-Vennep, Schiphol, Schiphol-Rijk, Badhoevedorp

For the higher-level travel overview: Haarlemmermeer.