Arkel is a town in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. A part of the municipality of

Molenlanden Molenlanden () is a municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. The municipality was created on 1 January 2019 by merging the municipalities of Giessenlanden en Molenwaard. It is located east of Rotterdam along the Lek (river) ...

, it lies about 3 km north of

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of Oc ...

. Arkel is a former municipality; in 1986 it became part of

Giessenlanden Giessenlanden () is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of of which is water, and had a population of as of . The municipality included communities of Arkel, Giess ...

. In 2017, the village of Arkel had 3.445 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.42 km² and contained 1.125 residences.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Bevolkingskernen in Nederland 2001''
. (Statistics are for the continuous built-up area). The statistical area "Arkel", which also includes the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 3220.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Statline: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2003-2005''
. As of 1 January 2005. Though there are little places of cultural interest in Arkel, there is a 19th-century domed church and a 19th-century

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

History

Although nowadays a modest village, in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

it was the origin of the renowned

Lords of Arkel The Land van Arkel was a fief of the Counts of Holland, and was managed by the Lords of Arkel until 1412. The territory was bordered by the river Merwede on the south, and the river Linge on the east. The northern border might have reached as far a ...

, who owned considerable territories including the town of

Transportation

Arkel is served by

Arkel railway station Arkel is a railway station, located in Arkel in the Netherlands. The station is located on the Qbuzz line between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen. It was opened on 1 December 1883, was closed on 15 May 1938 and was reopened on 10 June 1940. Originally ...

. It is located north of the town.

References

Former municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Molenlanden {{SouthHolland-geo-stub