Discover the Hoge Berg

Turf walls form a characteristic element in the landscape on Texel, especially in the Hoge Berg area. Many Texel land owners and farmers are proud of their turf walls and, for this reason, also maintain them well. New turf walls, known as ‘tuunwoaltjes’ in the local dialect, are often being constructed.

From free grazing to separate plots

Up until the end of the sixteenth century, Texel livestock roamed freely over the grasslands of the old land in the winter. Documents from those times referred to this as ‘overalweyden’ (everywhere meadows). Land owners were against this practice. In the course of the seventeenth century, it was therefore prohibited in more and more places, until in 1711 the practice was abolished for good. During this period, meadowlands were divided into plots which had to be separated. Wood for fencing was still not readily available and therefore the inhabitants of Texel constructed turf walls on a large scale.

From manual labour to machines

For centuries, laying turf walls was pure manual labour. The Texel dialect has its own word for the practice: ‘tuunen’. It was heavy work, giving one ‘long arms and wide nostrils’. Nowadays, turf walls are constructed with machines which have been specially developed for the task.

Special flora

Turf walls consist of stacks of nutrient-rich grass sods. In the course of the years, minerals wash out of the soil in the walls. This creates a habitat for plants which thrive on nutrient-poor ground. Exposure to sunlight and sea winds also play a role in the development of flora. Harebells, sheep’s bit, sea thrift and mouse-ear hawkweed are species which really catch the eye here.

Special fauna

The unusual flowering plants on the turf walls are visited by special, rare insects. The hawksbeard mining bee gathers its food on cat’s ear, mouse-ear hawkweed and other yellow flowers. The aptly named bellflower blunthorn bee only visits plants from the bellflower family. The turf walls also provide good protection for the root vole. Texel continues to be a stronghold for this otherwise rare rodent.

Landscape reserve

It was mainly due to the turf walls that the Hoge Berg area was declared a landscape reserve in 1968. This status makes it possible for farmers and other land owners to receive subsidies for the maintenance and construction of turf walls.