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Natural Monuments

Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry

Natural Monuments

Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry

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Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry

Name: Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry
Rating: 2

Recommended by 49 hikers

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Location: Rotselaar, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry

4.8

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1,179

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1. Wijnmuur of Wezemaal – Vineyard on the Wijngaardberg loop from Wezemaal

7.55km

02:03

110m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.3

(29)

213

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2. Wijnmuur of Wezemaal – Wijngaard op de Wijngaardberg loop from Wezemaal

11.9km

03:10

130m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

4.5

(33)

171

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3. Beech Forest – Vineyard on the Wijngaardberg loop from Gelrode

13.4km

03:35

160m

Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Intermediate

Tips

March 30, 2024

There are a total of three iron sand quarries on the Wijngaardberg. One on the southern slope and two on the northern. In 1441, the oldest known mention of a Wezemaal quarry, there is mention of the "well" from which the lord had stone pulled: probably the later so-called 'Devil's Well'. The name of this quarry indicates the mysterious nature of the place and also refers to the potential danger of the steep walls. From the 15th century onwards, mention is made of the lord's quarry, which supplied material for the church in 1484, and from which the stone for the new vault ribs of the south transept was supplied in 1613. As late as 1829, the quarry of the Duke of Ursel (scion of the last noble family that owned the barony of Wezemaal until the French Revolution) supplied iron sandstone for the parsonage. This concerns the large quarry at the top of the southern flank of the Wijngaardberg. In some places in the carved walls you can still see marks from the stonemason's company. Behind the western head of the mountain with the Sacred Heart statue on it was a third quarry: that quarry was even reopened in 1961 for the large-scale restoration of the church (1960-1964). The fossilized river ripples are still clearly visible in this quarry (Natuurpunt Oost-Brabant, 2014). The old quarry walls were cut flat during extraction but are now weathered by the ravages of time. Now there is also a clear distinction between the iron-rich protruding banks and the erosion-sensitive sandy layers that have worn away. Immovable Heritage Inventory: Wijngaardberg and the agricultural area up to the Parhof, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/135080

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Karl

March 19, 2024

Very nice sandstone quarry that was used at the time for mining ironstone. You often see this material in historic buildings such as churches in the Hageland.

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Elevation 90 m

Weather

Today

Friday 24 October

11°C

9°C

70 %

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Max wind speed: 23.0 km/h

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Location: Rotselaar, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Wijngaardberg Iron Sandstone Quarry

1. Wijnmuur of Wezemaal – Vineyard on the Wijngaardberg loop from Wezemaal

2. Wijnmuur of Wezemaal – Wijngaard op de Wijngaardberg loop from Wezemaal

3. Beech Forest – Vineyard on the Wijngaardberg loop from Gelrode

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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