’t Zelle is an enormous estate of 355 ha, situated amongst many other country estates in an exceptionally beautiful part of the Achterhoek region. The first record of Zelle dates from as early as the 14th century, but only became better known in the 18th century. Most of the current estate dates from that time. Nowadays it includes holiday homes and a golf course.
Star-shaped wood
A source dating from 1326 refers to the estate as ’t Goet te Selle, but it is not known what form the estate took at that time. It was certainly not a castle. It is only from the 18th century that we have a clearer view of the development of the estate when it was owned by Jacob Grothe (1672-1751). Grothe was the mayor of Arnhem and probably the person responsible for creating the star-shaped wood, which still exists today. Such woods were ideal for hunting. You could lie in wait in the middle of the wood for the quarry to venture onto one of the paths.
Smallholdings
The house wassubstantially renovated in 1792 and the surviving outbuildings datefrom around that time. The estate had a commercial function based partly onagriculture and partly on forestry. A number of smallholdings, known as katersteden, arose on the estate. A katerstede is the simple home of a smallholder who rented a small plot of land. For the owners’ pleasure, a park was createdwith a pond, a water mazeand a winding path that was appropriately named ‘Romantic Walk’. The park still exists.
National heritage site
The demand for wood decreased after the Second World War and the estate had to look elsewhere for itsincome. Some new holiday homes were built as one such source of income and the vacated smallholdings were converted into leisure facilities, as well as a care farm.Part of the estate was also turned into a golf course. Over a quarter of the original paths, woods and smallholdings on the estate that have survived have recently been designated as a protected national heritage site.
