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Sand Quarry De Lak - Fishing Pond 2.0

Lakes

Sand Quarry De Lak - Fishing Pond 2.0

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Sand Quarry De Lak - Fishing Pond 2.0

Recommended by 37 cyclists out of 39

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Location: Balen, Turnhout, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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3. Fietsen door de Bomen – Beverlo Canal loop from Lommel

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Tips

🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

March 11, 2025

Water feature De Lak, a sand extraction pit with a history.
The sand extraction pit from the previous century is now an ideal location for recreational fishermen. But this large water feature has a sandy history.

De Lak is one of the many sand extraction pits in the large region around Mol, Balen and Wezel.

Historical explanation: The white sand was discovered during the digging of the Kempen canals in the second half of the 19th century. During the digging, white sand was extracted at a shallow depth and carelessly dumped on the banks. Until an inland skipper, who was on his way from Zeebrugge to Liège with a load of sand (!), took a sample of the Mol sand with him. It turned out to be of the highest quality.

The man never sailed back to Zeebrugge, he simply loaded the annoying sand on the banks. But soon pirates came to the coast. Antoon van Eetvelde, steward of Baroness Elisabeth de Candèle de Gijseghem, saw opportunities in white sand. He started buying up all the worthless land along the canal and began mining white sand. In the beginning, this was primitive. The land near the canal was mined first. This was to facilitate transport. With shovels and brackets (a kind of large scoop nets), sand was mined to a depth of approximately 4 metres. From 1882, the sand was collected with dredgers. Six years later, sand suction dredgers followed. Here and there, small companies were set up with names such as Sablières et Carrières Réunies, Taquenier, La Moloise, Campinoise, Silversand Pilkington or Nouvelles Sablières de Mol. Companies disappeared or merged, until finally only one remained: SCR Sibelco, today the world market leader in white sand mining.

Source: toerisme.gemeentemol.be/aanbod/43/een-zanderige-geschiedenis

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 80 m

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Location: Balen, Turnhout, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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Sand Quarry De Lak - Fishing Pond 2.0

1. Beverlo Canal – Lommel Sahara loop from Leopoldsburg

2. Beverlo Canal – Fietsen door de Bomen loop from Lommel

3. Fietsen door de Bomen – Beverlo Canal loop from Lommel

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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