Woonboerderij N/A in GELSELAAR

NSW Estate ‘d'Olde Renger’ - Monumental Saxon farmstead

Between Gelselaar and Geesteren lies d'Olde Renger, a museally beautiful Saxon farmstead. One with the designation ‘National Monument’ since 1972, and rightly so! With over 15 ha, including 8 ha of cultivated land and 7 ha of forest, water and ornamental gardens, it is an impressive estate. You cannot see it from the road - the trees around it form tight ranks - and so at d'Olde Renger you imagine yourself in a wonderful country fairy tale.

As you drive up Oude Rengersweg, the imposing farmstead looms on the right, with the accompanying meadows on the left. The slightly raised level gives a distinguished appearance to the voluminous farmhouse. The drive to the living area is bordered with beech hedges, as befits the rural image. What immediately stands out are the unusual facades, which are a later addition by the well-known architect Jan Jans. A contemporary image it was then and still is; anyone who can do that is in a class of its own.

This farm was named after the Renger, the stream that kept the water mills running behind it. Today, only remnants of that can be found, and the grounds of the mills have degenerated into forest where deer, owls, squirrels and other sociable wildlife dwell.

NSW estate
The house and land are ranked under the 1928 Natural Beauty Act.
This means it meets a number of requirements, such as that:
- it is at least 5 hectares in size;
- it consists of at least 30% woodland (forest) or natural areas.
Piece of cake for d'Olde Renger, as it is all nature there. There are great advantages to owning an NSW estate: the owner enjoys tax benefits from the property in terms of income tax, corporation tax, transfer tax, gift and inheritance tax and property tax.

National monument
Monuments are objects or structures that we attribute special cultural-historical value to; snapshots of times gone by. They don't have to be old, after all, time flies before our eyes, but in many cases they are quite old.

That we are mere passers-by is nowhere more evident than in these exceptional places, where generation after generation has lived and where every stone and every bint has its own story. They are time machines in which history becomes tangible and comes back to life. D'Olde Renger has been telling a story for centuries, starting in the 14th century (probably even earlier), and to which - just like an oil painting - layer after layer was constantly added, until it was today.

So much space
Under the hands of the current occupant and his wife, the farmhouse blossomed into a fantastic residence, with carefully preserved monumental rooms, such as the old bakehouse - partly still in its original, 19th-century state - and the beautiful gentleman's room, which paints a fine picture of what such a parlour looked like. Every stone was touched and what could be preserved was kept, what had to be replaced was renewed with the utmost care using the best materials.

In the second part of his career, the owner kept a small stud farm with Dutch warmblood horses. That makes this farm very suitable for horse lovers; there are eight stalls and more than enough space for a large riding arena - covered, if desired, in the other barn.

The large barn was the domain of the lady of the house, who painted there - very creditably - and held her exhibitions. Not only was the house restored and renovated, the place itself took on a deeper meaning; the gardens were coiffed and shared with the public who descended to the cultural gatherings that were organised, such as concerts in the gardens, musical picnics and special exhibitions by local artists. Happiness in life also multiplies by sharing it, and this delightful yard lends itself ideally to letting people enjoy its splendour.

The Farm
The current owner talks enthusiastically about how they tackled the restoration (period 2000-2001); thoroughly and in close cooperation with bodies such as the RCE and the municipality. They deliberately chose to let old and new coexist; what was original was left as it was or restored, while new elements were used as a contrast. The old kitchen in the bakery still has the authentic cobblestone floor, with a layer of sand on top, while the furniture, such as chairs, benches and tables, has a very contemporary character. The use of colour also says a lot about the layers of time; the ochre yellow, dove blue and oxblood red, for instance, are authentic colours, while in their current capacity they look contemporary. Everything is tightly painted and the condition of the house can therefore be called formidable.

What you get: a farmhouse that is suitable for living in if desired. There are two staircases, two living rooms, two kitchens and upstairs there are two bedrooms on either side. The finishing is of a particularly high standard and the built-in cupboards, ceilings and the doors in the men's room (with the painted wood grain) are all wonderful examples of artisan craftsmanship.

Layout
The farmhouse has the entrance on the left side. In the overhead light is the traditional tree of life, a fine example of how Germanic symbolism was given a new place in the Christian faith. It represents the connection between heaven and earth, and life.

The spacious and bright hallway is lined with beautiful grey estriken, which by the way are all over the ground floor, which go extremely well with the cream white walls and oxblood red woodwork. In the hall the stairs to the first floor and the WC with hand basin. On the other side of the house, there is another door to the back garden and terrace by the kitchen. The current resident tells how the garden table was the centre on free summer days, where life took place around it.