The newly redesigned northern village entrance combines a pick-your-own garden with a circular hedge along Thesingerweg. Benches stand on the inside of the hedge. This landscaped entrance adds a recent feature to a village whose history dates back to the Late Middle Ages and can also be traced through the former uses of its church, mill and inn.
From Monastery Origins to Later Village Stories
Sint Annen originated in the Late Middle Ages near the convent of Parva Adwerth (Klein Aduard), founded in 1345. This early connection places the village’s origins in their historical context. Other historical features tell the story of change through specific buildings and how they were used.
The former church was housed in the rear part of the sexton’s house on Kerkpad. Pointed-arch niches are a reminder of this; when the building was later adapted for a different use, residential windows were fitted into the niches. In the 1970s, the village community also had a bell frame installed in the small square on Kerkpad. The church and bell frame thus represent different chapters in the village’s history: the church’s former location in the sexton’s house and a later community addition to the village scene.
Mill, Inn and Architectural Styles
The mill on Molenpad stands at the southern edge of the village. It was established in 1818 and shortened in 1924. Its plastered mill tower was later converted, with an extension, into the village community centre De Meuln. The building thus brings together the history of the mill and its later communal use.
The former Klinkhamer inn represents another chapter. It stands in the middle of Hoofdstraat, in a transverse building dating from around 1870. The former inn and the converted mill illustrate different building functions; the information about the mill also includes its establishment and subsequent alteration.
Most of the other buildings in Sint Annen are modest houses with clipped-gable roofs. With this roof style, the upper part of the gable is sloped. One distinctive architectural feature of the imposing house at number 21 is its central hallway. The farm complex at Boersterweg 26 adds another example: it is a national heritage site (Rijksmonument) of the Kop-Hals-Romp type. The house has a gabled roof. Its front façade has two six-pane windows and small light openings; there are also six-pane windows in the gable and side façades. This makes it possible to distinguish the predominant roof style of the houses from the specific roof and façade details of individual buildings.
Garden and Surroundings
The pick-your-own garden was officially opened on 21 June 2024. It is home to various flowers, vegetables and fruit. About 5,000 flower bulbs were also planted on the northern and southern sides of Sint Annen. The pick-your-own garden and the flower bulbs complement the historical architectural styles with garden landscaping.
Near Sint Annen, the Sint Annermaar runs towards the Kardingermaar.
Discover more destinations: Ten Boer, Ten Post.
Go to the main travel overview: Ten Boer.
