Wezenputten (NL)

Aqueduct Wezenputten Oudeschild (The Netherlands) Wezenputten - Oudeschild (NL)
For the photo's, see below
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Orphan wells and an aqueduct on the island of Texel (NL)


When cycling on the Dutch island of Texel, one can encounter just west of the village of Oudeschild, a wooden mini-aqueduct of 25 m long between a (formerly wooden) handpump on a well and a canal. Why an aqueduct and why there?

In 1627 Dirk Nanninga Zn. got permission from the Amsterdam Admiralty to dug a well near a house now called Brakestein, and to sell the water to merchant ships at the Roads of Texel (Reede van Texel) waiting for favorable weather. In 1648 it was decided to finance the orphan-house in Den Burg - the capital of the island - with the income from the rights to sell the water to the ships. That is why these wells were called Wezenputten (Orphan wells).

The governors of the General Orphanage in Den Burg
let out the water right of the Wezenputten to the amount of:

Year Lease
(Guilders)
1648 217
1682 274
1692 474
1695 924


In 1676, the governors of the orphanage received a charter which stipulated that Texel people who drew water from the wells also had to pay for it: twelve stivers a year. The treasur box in which the water revenues were kept is exhibited at Kaap Skil Museum in Oudeschild. This museum also houses a huge model of the Texel Roads including the crossing of the water barrels from the Skilsloot (canal) over the sea dike, depicting the situation in 1665.

Via a wooden channel about 25 m long the pumped water from the Wezenputten well was put into barrels, which were transported by praams (small, open ships) via the 1 km long Skilsloot (canal) towards the dike, south of Oudeschild.

"The well that supplies water to the ships, on Texel, 't Schild [Oudeschild wds] in a distance".
Engraving of T. de Roode and M. Roelofsvaert, ca 1780.


Because of its high iron content (noticeable by the brown color), the water from the Wezenputten kept better than water from elsewhere. Usually, the water supply taken would last until Cape of Good Hope, where fresh water supplies could be taken in at Table Bay.
Initially the oak wood barrels were rolled manually along the Skillepad (Skil path) towards the dyke. In 1635 one got permission to dug a canal so the barrels could be transported by praams towards the dike where they were hoisted by a (capstan or) windlass. On the other side a sloop brought the water to the merchant ships on the Reede van Texel (Texel Roads), the major anchorage site east of the Dutch island of Texel, waiting for favorable weather. Because of an annual extra pay to the Orphan-house, the ships of the VOC (the Dutch east India Company) got priority by the intake of fresh water.

A medium-sized merchant ship with a capacity of 360 ton (180 'lasten') had a crew of about 300 people on board and took with them 170 'leggers' and 27 'varkens' (563 resp. 281 liters) which represent 103.300 liters / 103 m3 / 103 ton (!) fresh water.


Besides water, these merchant ships would stock up on sheep and pigs on Texel as provisions for the journey. The area at the end of the Skilsloot, where the water barrels were hoisted over the dike, was often a hive of activity. Unsurprisingly, inns sprang up here and the area became known as Jeneverbuurtje, the Gin Quarter (now: Buurtje / Quarter).

In 1780 Oudeschild got a real harbor so the Skilsloot was extended but it was already too late: de trade on the Baltics and Eat India had shifted, the most recent English war brought The Netherland in isolation, elsewhere new harbors were built etc. Nevertheless a second well was dug in 1783.
So after 1800 the Wezenputten were mainly in use for drinking water for the people of Oudeschild and surroundings. From 1956 on all the Texel people have access to a modern system of water supply.



Wilke D. Schram


Recommended literature :
  • Lijntje Pronk (2013): Een kleine geschiedenis van Texel (A small history of Texel), pag 49 - 59 (in Dutch)
Recommended websites   :
How to visit                  : see above
HOME More literature on more aqueducts Last modified: April, 2018 - (webmaster)


The well in 1780
Present reconstruction
Second well
Hand pump

Aqueduct channel
Place to fill the barrels
House Brakestein
Praam with water barrels

At the end of the canal
After crossing the dike
Treasur box