Development

The different interacting factors such as soil, water, climate, flora and fauna and, to an important extent the influences of man, contributed to the development of the landscape of Texel.

First inhabitants

The first inhabitants were not yet able to protect themselves against the sea through dykes. This is why they settled on the boulder clay emergences, the higher situated parts in the landscape. Excavations have revealed traces of occupation from the Mid-Stone Age (8,000 - 4,500 BC.). Much later, on these higher parts, the villages of Den Burg, De Waal, Den Hoorn, Oosterend and De Westen came about.

Abandoned homes

De Westen was the most important village of Texel in the 13th century. Because the village was connected to the North Sea through a channel, it was inhabited mainly by fishermen. In the 14th century, the eroding dune sand filled up the channel completely.

The population left the village and moved to Den Hoorn and De Koog. The abandoned homes were pulled down.The church tower of De Westen, however, held out for centuries and was demolished only in 1859. The Tower House on the Westerweg is the only house left of this village.

Protected against the sea

The lower parts of the island lay unprotected from the sea. Storms pushed water deeper and deeper into the land and regularly flooded the pastures. People tried to protect themselves from the sea in two ways around 1300. Between the higher parts dams were constructed, which brought about a dam as well as a connection between the areas.

'Cooghen'

In addition, these grounds, which only flooded at high tide, were diked in. These little polders were then known as 'cooghen'. This word still occurs in the names of parts of the island, such as De Koog and Everstekoog (from Uterste or Outside Koog).

Remainders of old dyke breaches

The extremly low dykes of these first impolderings disappeared in the course of time and sometimes made way for roads such as for instance the Oude Dijkje near De Koog. At places where the sea broke through the small dykes, the so-called walen came about. These pools, such as Wegeswaal near the Waalenburgerdijkje, are remainders of old dyke breaches and can still be found at several locations.

Connection between Texel and Eijerland

 Around the time of dune formation on the west-side of the 'old land' of Texel, a wide and low beach formed north of De Koog. In the years 1629/1630, dune formation was promoted here by placing reed-mats and planting marram and other sand binders. In this way, a connection was made between Texel and the islet of Eijerland. The land deposited in front of this drift dyke was dammed up in 1835.

After this polder Eierland, in 1846 the polder De Eendracht, in 1847 the Prins Hendrikpolder and finally in 1876 the polder Het Noorden followed.

Storm

The force of nature is a factor that will always have to be taken into account. Despite all technical knowledge and deployment of the latest equipment, man will always have to fight the sea. Heavy north-westerly storms regularly make dozens, sometimes hundreds of metres of dune disappear into the sea. The planting of marram grass, training walls and sand suppletions are used to prevent the row of dunes becoming narrower and narrower.

Sand suppletion

For sand suppletion, sand is sucked up out of the sea and sprayed onto the beach. A vulnerable point is at the lighthouse. Upon taking into operation of the lighthouse in 1864, the distance to the sea was around 3,000 metres. This area of dunes has been washed away entirely; the only reason the lighthouse is still standing is thanks to a protective asphalt bank.

The Hors

In the south of the island, near the Hors, the island is getting bigger and bigger, because the sand that has eroded elsewhere is deposited there. On the east side of the island the entire Wadden dyke has now been raised to Delta height (7.45 m above NAP, Amsterdam Ordnance zero).