Wezenputten - Oudeschild

Just outside Oudeschild lie the Wezenputten: two centuries-old water wells that played a crucial role during the Dutch East India Company era. From these deep sources, fresh water was drawn that, due to Texel’s soil, was rich in iron and stayed fresh far longer than water from elsewhere. That made it perfect for supplying ships that departed from the Texel Roads for long journeys to distant parts of the world.

Barrels holding hundreds of litres were filled and transported via the Skilsloot canal to the harbour, then hoisted aboard. The profits benefited the orphanage in Den Burg, hence the name “Wezenputten”, or “Orphans’ Wells”.

A tangible reminder of this history can be found at Museum Kaap Skil, where you’ll see the original money chest of the Wezenputten and an impressive scale model of the Texel Roads, vividly bringing the past to life.

Drawing of the well at the Skilsloot by Pieter van Cuyck (1720–1787), Public Domain.