Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to discover exactly when the farm was built.

It is estimated that this happened around 1900.

My (Corinda) grandparents bought the yard in 1933.

They went to live here with their only child my grandmother. She married my grandfather in 1933.

Together they had 5 daughters and 2 sons.

My grandfather cultivated land and of course had animals before that.

Two strong Belgian tubers who helped him to work the land.

He also had a number of cows to provide the family with dairy and meat.

And of course the pigs, chickens and rabbits could not be missed.

To counteract the amount of mice and rats that these animals brought with them, they also had a number of cats and a so-called farmer's fox that took care of this job.

The boys helped with the work on the land and the girls were always busy milking the cows.

During the war, the Allies broke through the dike to use the water to chase the occupiers away. As a result, Koudekerke was also under water.

The water in the farm was up to 120cm high.

That must have been a terrible time. They all lived on the top floor.

And what about the animals?

My grandfather had come up with a genius plan and got the cows in the attic in the barn.

How did he manage this?

My grandfather stopped farming in 1972, everything was out of the house by now and there was not much help anymore. Only the youngest two under my mother lived at home.

My parents moved here in 1977.

The house was then renovated, but everything else has remained intact.

The farmer's barn and the animal hutch were simply used as barns.

My grandfather still worked the land near the house for the hobby and so we ate healthy from the garden.

He grew old and this too did not last.

The former animal pen that used to house the young cows that had to calve for the first time has been converted into a studio for rental.

Now called “Grietje”

In 2015, we felt that this space was in need of a good refresh.

Martijn and my father renovated the house thoroughly.

A bedroom was added. The kitchen was equipped with the conveniences of today.

Central heating was being worked on, but also the TV and the internet could not be missing.

Outside, a piece was demarcated to create a lovely seat.

In 2017 Martijn and I came to live on the farm together with our daughter and son.

The barn had not been maintained much in all those years.

Our next job was waiting...

You can see pictures of the renovation on our Facebook page.

Everything has been tackled, the foundation, the floor, the walls, the roof.

The barn has been thoroughly renovated with the aim of preserving the farm as much as possible in its original condition.

For example, the old stable doors and hatches are visible again and the beautiful curved windows.

The Mendeurs are still original and completely restored.

These special elements are made by a seasoned craftsman who learned the tricks of the trade very early. And wanted to apply the already old and original carpentry skills.

But it's more difficult inside… what good is a cow shed, horse stable, threshing floor and the bag these days??

We have realized a holiday home on the site of the cowshed called op stable.

In the future, another holiday home will be built on the site where the horse stable used to be.

We will use the remaining part to expand our own living area.

So we're not done yet..

But that is also the case if you live in a yard called "hof Zeldenrust"!