- Baalhoek
Baalhoek is a hamlet in the Dutch province of
Zeeland ."VUGA's Alfabetische Plaatsnamengids van Nederland" (13th edition), VUGA, 1997.] It is located in the municipality ofHulst , about 5 km east ofKloosterzande on the dyke of theWesterschelde ."ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland", Topografische Dienst and ANWB, 2005.]The name of the hamlet refers to an old pier to the north, "Ten Ballen", used by a ferry. When the village of
Hontenisse disappeared in a flood in 1509, this pier and some of the remaining dykes formed a corner ("hoek"), named "Ballenhouck". The pier disappeared into the Westerschelde around 1600, but the name remained. [Municipality ofHulst , "Gemeentelijk voorlichtingsblad" 5 nr. 3, June 2007. http://www.gemhulst.nl/mdcms/showdetails.php?contentid=982]According to the 19th century historian A.J. van der Aa, Baalhoek (or "Balhoek") was the only settlement in the Kruispolder, a
polder that was reclaimed from the sea in 1616. In the middle of the 19th century, it consisted of 19 houses, and had a population of more than 70. All of the houses of the hamlet were located on or near the sea dyke. There was a little harbour here.vanderAa-AW|B|3|Baalhoek] Around the harbour, a new hamletKruispolderhaven arose.Nowadays, the hamlet is the smallest of the three hamlets in the Kruispolder, including
Kruisdorp andKruispolderhaven . Together, these three settlements are also named "Kruispolder".References
External links
* [http://www.kuijsten.de/atlas/ze/hontenisse.html Map of the area in 1868, showing Baalhoek]
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