The reclamation of the Noordoostpolder began with the construction of a dyke surrounding the intended new land. At the site where the Sluitgat Monument near Espel now stands, the section of the dyke between Lemmer and Urk was closed on 3 October 1939. This is where the term 'sluitgat' (dyke closure hole) originates. The closing of the dyke is a memorable achievement, commemorated by a boulder clay grabber, also known as a grab bucket, placed atop the dyke.
The monument also includes a model located at the foot of the dyke…
The reclamation of the Noordoostpolder began with the construction of a dyke surrounding the intended new land. At the site where the Sluitgat Monument near Espel now stands, the section of the dyke between Lemmer and Urk was closed on 3 October 1939. This is where the term 'sluitgat' (dyke closure hole) originates. The closing of the dyke is a memorable achievement, commemorated by a boulder clay grabber, also known as a grab bucket, placed atop the dyke.
The monument also includes a model located at the foot of the dyke, displaying the contours of the Noordoostpolder as it was being created. On this map of the dyke surrounding the Noordoostpolder, you can see not only the sluitgat near Espel but also the dyke closure hole near Nagele, which was closed a year and two months later. This marked the completion of the dyke between Urk and Vollenhove and thus the entire dyke encircling the Noordoostpolder.
Near the dyke closure hole monument, by the way, is also the see-through panel Sluitgat. The see-through panel shows the mayors of Lemmer and Urk shaking hands on a gangplank laid across the closure hole on the dyke between the two places, after the last heap of soil has been dumped into the IJsselmeer there. If you look at the panel from the right distance and angle, the drawing is projected onto the landscape in such a way that it is as if you were there in 1939.
The dyke closure hole monument at Espel is easily accessible if you turn off from the Westermeerdijk onto the Zuidermeerpad. That path leads you directly to the Westermeerdijk, where a little further on you can also see the sights Rotterdamse Hoek and viewing panel Sluitgat. Incidentally, these can only be reached by bicycle or on foot. So be sure to combine these with your visit to the Sluitgat monument while you are there.
