Bastion Vreesniet

Bastion Vreesniet (‘Fear not’) was one of the six bastions of Bredevoort. It was situated to the west of the town, in the area now behind Prinsenstraat, and formed part of the Bredevoort fortifications. Its remains are protected as a national monument (rijksmonument).

At this location, the outline of the bastion is still vaguely visible on the modern map of Bredevoort. It was once an eight-metre-high ‘hollow’ bastion, equipped with three cavaliers (katten) in each corner. The gorge (keel), or entrance to the bastion, was situated just past the junction of Landstraat and Kerkstraat; the alley behind these houses still exists today. The present-day town meadow once served as the bastion’s terreplein (the level space behind the ramparts).

In 1782, the bulwark was granted under a long-term lease (erfpacht) to Bernard Andries Roelvink. During the 19th century, the fortifications were dismantled to make way for the gardens that are still there today. A small section of the onderwal (lower rampart) has been preserved, upon which the Roelvink family’s tea pavilion was built.

Reconstruction

The image shows a reconstruction of Bastion Vreesniet. It illustrates the bastion’s position relative to the houses that stand there today, with Sint Bernardus visible on the right. The lower rampart in front of the bastion is also shown. The terreplein is now the small meadow situated between the gardens and Kerkstraat.

The moat in front of it is known today as the Grote Gracht (Large Moat). The section of the moat to the left of the ravelin is now known as the Kleine Gracht (Small Moat). The filled-in section of the moat and the glacis (sloping bank) that were once here are now occupied by the ‘De Halve Maan’ (Half Moon) allotments.