Ouddorp is a village in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

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 October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

. It is part of the municipality of

Goeree-Overflakkee Goeree-Overflakkee () is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is separated from Voorne-Putten and Hoeksche Waard by the Haringvliet, from the mainland of North Brabant by the Volkerak, and from Schou ...

. It is often referred to as ''Ouddorp aan Zee'' (Outdorp on the Sea) to promote itself as a seaside resort, because the village has an long beach which is the longest of the Netherlands.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1551 as "Outdorp in Westvoirne", and means "old village". Old refers to land which has not been reclaimed by ''

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

ing''. Ouddorp is a circular village around a church which developed in the Middle Ages. It used to be the centre of the former island of

Goeree Goeree-Overflakkee () is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is separated from Voorne-Putten and Hoeksche Waard by the Haringvliet, from the mainland of North Brabant by the Volkerak, and from Schou ...

, but was overshadowed by

Goedereede Goedereede () is a little town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality had a population of about 11,000 in 2010. It consisted of the west part of the island of Goeree-Overfla ...

. South of Ouddorp is a ''

terp A ''terp'', also known as a ''wierde, woerd, warf, warft, werf, werve, wurt'' or ''værft'', is an artificial dwelling mound found on the North European Plain that has been created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides an ...

'' (artificial hill) on which Spreeuwenberg Castle was built in the 13th century, but only the hill remained. The Dutch Reformed church has a free standing tower. The choir dates from 1348. The nave was rebuilt in 1734 on a smaller scale which resulted in a detached tower. In 1903, conference rooms were added between the church and tower. The

Reformed Church Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

dates from 1892, but was damaged in 1944 and received its current shape during the restoration of 1946 and 1947. The

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

De Hoop was built in 1845. It was restored between 1982 and 1984. An electro motor has been installed, but it is often in service by wind power, and supplies a nearby pet shop and bakery. Lighthouse Westhoofd was built between 1947 and 1948 as a replacement of the 1911 lighthouse which was blown up the Germans on 4 May 1945. The lighthouse has a cellar and 7 stories. It measures . Ouddorp was home to 1,951 people in 1840. In 1860, a harbour was constructed to the south of the village. After World War II, Ouddorp started to developed as a seaside resort. It was a separate municipality until 1966, when it became part of Goedereede. In 2013, it became part of the municipality of

. The former town hall and polder house contain the regional museum.

Gallery

File:Netherlands-Ouddorp-toren.jpg, Centre of Ouddorp File:Netherlands-Ouddorp-Dorpskerk.jpg,

Dorpskerk, Ouddorp The Dorpskerk (town church) also known as the Maartenskerk in Ouddorp ( South Holland, Netherlands) was completed in 1348 and is situated in the town's centre. The tower was completed in the early 16th-century. The church was completely renovated ...

File:Ouddorp molen De Hoop.jpg,

Gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

" De Hoop" File:Vuurtoren Ouddorp.jpg,

Lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

" Westhoofd" File:HHK ouddorp vanaf kerktoren.JPG, The new (2013)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Former municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Goeree-Overflakkee Seaside resorts in the Netherlands