Front street village

Voorstraatdorpen originated from the 15th to the 18th century in the newland areas. They were usually already indicated in the plan for dams. Only the larger polders got a village. This village type has as a central element a wide main street, ‘the front street’. This is perpendicular to the sea dike and connects the port (kaai) with the church. The main street is built on both sides and several rear streets have been built parallel to it; cross streets connect them to the front street. A center is often lacking. The front street village is one of the oldest village types in the Newland Polders. The type mainly has non-agricultural buildings, because the farms were built from the outset in the polder. Voorstraatdorpen is relatively present on North Beveland and further on Tholen, Sint Philipsland, Schouwen-Duiveland, Walcheren and in Zeeuwsch-Vlaanderen. A subtype within this category is the ring-front village. In it, the front street on the polder side is closed with a church ring, initially round, later rectangular. In some cases, there used to be a canal around the cemetery. A port square at the other end of the front street can form the spatial counterpart of the church with the cemetery. The church usually takes a much less central place than in the older ring villages. The ring-front street village is a planned set-up, which was often already recorded at the plotting of the polder. Schouwen-Duiveland: Bruinisse Walcheren: New and Sint-Joosland, Westkapelle North and South Beveland: Colijnsplaat, Geersdijk, Kamperland, Kats, Kortgene, ‘s-Gravenpolder,’s-Heer-Arendskerke, Wissenkerke, Wolfaartsdijk. Tholen: Scherpenisse, Sint Annaland, Stavenisse Sint Philipsland: Sint Philipsland Zeeuwsch-Flanders: Emmadorp, Hoofdplaat, Zeedorp, Walsoorden