Well House

Stop here by the well house.

The ‘ Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehuisje’ and the well in this form were placed here in 2016. The ‘ Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehuisje’ used to be on a pillory, to which criminals were tied. The statue was removed by the new, non-Catholic rulers, in 1629 and did not return until 2016.

Archaeological investigations have shown that there was already a well on this site in 1500. This new water house, which was designed on the basis of a painting, therefore stands on the foundations of a very old well. It is also known that a water pump was built on this site in 1575, which in turn was replaced by a hard stone pump. This water pump was then demolished in 1871 and in the following years the market had to do without a well.

Until 1977, during the major archaeological investigation, the foundation of the city well was freed up again. It was decided to build another well, which this time would survive until 2008. Under heavy protest from the local population, a glass plate was placed to indicate where the old well was, but this plate was not resistant to all forms of vandalism. The plate was therefore removed and again there was no well in the market.

Then it was decided in 2011 to rebuild the current well house. After many discussions about the design, it was finally finished in 2016. Just in time, because that was an important year for Den Bosch, as it will go down in the books as ‘the Jeroen Bosch year’.

Let’s keep moving. Facing the well house, with the statue at your back, turn right and walk towards the beautiful old building with the stepped gable, on the corner of the Market and Marktstraat.