Lecture 'The historical development of the East Brabant farm'

Gemerten resident Jan Timmers will give a lecture on the historical development of the farm in eastern Brabant for the Aarlese Heemkundekring in the Couwenberg in Aarle-Rixtel. Jan Timmers has been active for many years in the field of local history, archaeology and historical geography, on which he regularly publishes. The development of the farm is one of his favourite topics.

Old farmhouses are starting to become scarce. Many old farms no longer have an agricultural function and have been converted into residential houses. Yet fortunately, they often remain recognisable as farms. It is a building where house and stable and sometimes a barn were combined in one building. Brabant is known for its long-gabled farmhouses, but these only appeared in the 19th century. That type is the end point in the development of the farmhouse. Before the long-gabled farmhouse made its appearance, other forms and types existed. The lecture will focus on the development of the farm in eastern Brabant. Especially in recent years, a lot has become known about the construction, but also about the age of the oldest farms, which goes back further than thought. They start in the Middle Ages and will continue to develop. 

They include hall houses, corner gable farms, short gables, stool houses and transverse houses. Even after the introduction of the long-gabled farmhouse, developments continue and all kinds of variants arise again. And with the reclamation of the moors and the peel area, the miners also introduced types of farmhouses from other parts of the Netherlands. They look at the development of farms through a historical lens, examining their construction and building form and the rich building history that some farms turn out to have. Sometimes this yields surprising viewpoints and makes you look differently at the built environment then and now. The lecture starts at 8pm. Non-members pay a small contribution of €2.50.