Overview
Loohuisbos is a 21.36-hectare nature reserve east of the village of Aalten, in the rural district of Haart. It is managed by Natuurmonumenten and forms part of the Winterswijk National Landscape and the Natura 2000 network.
On the Archaeological Monuments Map, the site is designated as a site of archaeological significance because of the presumed presence of an urnfield.
The landscape before 1927
Before its purchase in 1927, the area, then known as ‘t Loohuis, was privately owned. It consisted of an elongated es (raised arable field) rented to several neighbouring farmers, surrounded by Scots pine woodland. Peat bogs and a pool lay in the lower parts of the site. The association Aaltens Belang was involved in supervising recreational activities.
In winter, the pool in the woods was used for skating. The association arranged, among other things, for someone to sweep the ice, paid from admission fees. The landscape had the characteristics of the traditional old farmstead landscape: irregular plots, hedgerows, small woods and a network of winding roads. Its soils developed on coversand ridges enriched over centuries by manure from pot-stall farming.
Purchase in 1927
In 1927, the area was offered for sale. The original plan was for tenant farmers to buy the strips of land they rented, fell the woodland and convert it to pasture. After a week of deliberation, the board of Aaltens Belang decided to buy the entire site in order to prevent further felling.
Loohuisbos was purchased on 29 November 1927 for ƒ27,600. At the time, Aaltens Belang had only ƒ50 in liquid funds. The tenants offered ƒ20,000 for the arable land, but this offer was rejected. To finance the purchase, Aaltens Belang reached an agreement with Natuurmonumenten. The funding was divided as follows:
Aaltens Belang: ƒ2,300
Natuurmonumenten: ƒ5,300
Remaining ƒ20,000: borne by Natuurmonumenten and financed through interest-free shares issued by Aaltens Belang, to be redeemed over ten years.
The tenants were allowed to continue using the arable land they rented. From 1928, the reserve officially came under the management of Natuurmonumenten.
Management until 1994
Immediately after the transfer in 1928, Natuurmonumenten began planting deciduous trees, including American oak and beech, in the existing pine woodland. Even before the formal transfer, a member of the Aaltens Belang board had removed several dead trees and laid out a walking path.
Management during this period focused on preserving the landscape structure and facilitating recreation. Dead trees were left in place unless they posed a safety risk. The pool was dredged periodically and flushing water was fed into it to counter drying, although the site remained dry for much of the year.
In 1940, trees were planted along the road on the south side of the railway and the cycle path was moved to the north side.
Management from 1994
From 1994, the management plan was revised with greater emphasis on preserving the area as a cultural landscape. Because of its location close to Aalten and the high level of recreational use, nature conservation was not treated as the sole primary objective but as part of broader cultural-historical preservation.
The principal management measures during this period were:
- Woodland management: thinning exotic species such as American oak and black cherry to create space for native species including pedunculate oak and beech. Periodic group felling to create a mosaic of trees of different ages.
- Hedgerows: maintaining two hedgerows with pedunculate oak as the main species, cutting them in stages so that wildlife habitat is not entirely disturbed at once.
- Grassland and arable land: preserving the small-scale field pattern. Managing field margins to encourage flower-rich vegetation. Regular agricultural tenancy continued, with the tenant free to choose crops.
- Water management: combating drying and acidification, including attempts to improve the supply of flushing water from the drinking-water station.
Present situation
Loohuisbos now consists mainly of nutrient-poor dry woodland, covering about 14 hectares, together with roughly 7 hectares of grassland and arable land. The site contains one pond and an acidic pool that holds water permanently. Structural drying remains a problem. Hydrological research has shown that the groundwater level is falling because of drainage from surrounding agricultural land. Around one million litres of water are extracted from the area each year. The remaining water has become acidic, limiting suitable habitat for amphibians.
Natuurmonumenten continues to manage the pond, including mowing the banks and dredging periodically. Hunting is not permitted. The reserve has a network of walking paths; maintenance of informal paths and benches is part of the management work, while the municipality of Aalten is responsible for the car park.