Leidse Rijn - History

History

Since the beginning of our era, the old course of the Rhine between Utrecht and Harmelen became increasingly more difficult to navigate. The building of a dam in the Kromme Rijn in 1122 led to a silting up of the old Rhine below Utrecht, especially as it meandered through very flat terrain.

Already in the early Middle Ages (ca. 700) a canal from Utrecht to Vleuten was dug. When the part Vleuten-Harmelen ultimately became too narrow and winding as well, in 1381 the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) canal (Harmelen-Utrecht) was dug.

Under the expansion plans of the Utrecht city mayor Hendrick Moreelse in 1662-1665 a new shortcut was dug, the Leidse Rijn, connecting to where the Oude Rijn canal made a curve to the northeast. At the place where the new canal connected to the Oude Rijn the nobleman Everard Meyster built an estate called Oog in Al.

Eventually the name Leidse Rijn came to be used for the whole section Utrecht-Harmelen.


Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta
Rhine
Current distributaries
Waal
Nederrijn
IJssel
Lek
Merwede
Boven Merwede
Nieuwe Merwede
Beneden Merwede
Oude Maas
Dordtsche Kil
Noord
Nieuwe Maas
Het Scheur
Nieuwe Waterweg
Former distributaries
Kromme Rijn
Leidse Rijn
Oude Rijn
Hollandse IJssel
Vecht
Brielse Maas
Spui
Current estuaries
Nieuwe Waterweg
IJsselmeer
Former estuaries
Hollands Diep
Haringvliet
Volkerak
Krammer
Grevelingen
Keeten-Mastgat
Oosterschelde
Associated canals
Bijlands Kanaal
Pannerdens Kanaal
Amsterdam–Rhine Canal
Vaartse Rijn
Nieuwe Merwede
Nieuwe Waterweg
Scheldt–Rhine Canal
Maas-Waal Canal
Meuse
Current distributaries
Bergse Maas
Amer
Former distributaries
Oude Maasje
Afgedamde Maas
Merwede
Boven Merwede
Beneden Merwede
Oude Maas
Dordtsche Kil
Noord
Nieuwe Maas
Het Scheur
Nieuwe Waterweg
Current estuaries
Former estuaries
Hollands Diep
Haringvliet
Volkerak
Krammer
Grevelingen
Keeten-Mastgat
Oosterschelde
Associated canals
Heusden Canal
Bergse Maas
Maas-Waal Canal
Scheldt
Current distributaries
Western Scheldt
Former distributaries
Oosterschelde
Eendracht
Current estuaries
Western Scheldt
Former estuaries
Oosterschelde
Krammer
Grevelingen
Associated canals
Scheldt–Rhine Canal
Other rivers
  • Linge
  • Mark
  • Donge
  • Rotte
  • Oude IJssel
Islands and
Peninsulas
  • Rozenburg
  • IJsselmonde
  • Het Eiland van Dordt
  • Voorne and Putten
  • Hoeksche Waard
  • Tiengemeten
  • Goeree-Overflakkee
  • Schouwen-Duiveland
  • Tholen
  • Sint Philipsland
  • Walcheren
  • Noord-Beveland
  • Zuid-Beveland
Towns
  • Rotterdam
  • Antwerp
  • Dordrecht
  • Bergen-op-Zoom
  • Schiedam
  • Vlissingen
  • Vlaardingen
  • Middelburg
  • Spijkenisse
Other topics
  • Delta Works
  • Verdronken Land van Reimerswaal
  • Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe
  • St. Elizabeth's flood (1421)
  • St. Felix's Flood
  • All Saints' Flood (1570)

Read more about this topic:  Leidse Rijn

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