Overcingel in Assen is being converted by Het Drentse Landschap into a bed & breakfast and wedding venue. During the renovation, discoveries were made that say something about the history of this special country house.
“Look, here you see four different layers of ceilings and wall coverings.” Jermo Tappel points to a large hole in the ceiling in the old living room of country house Overcingel in Assen. “Throughout the centuries, the walls and ceilings have been modernized at various times and you can see that here. With every modernization, the ceiling was slightly lowered.”
Tappel is project leader at the Het Drentse Landschap foundation and responsible for the renovation and repurposing of the Overcingel estate. Since the death of the last resident, Henk van Lier Lels, in 2019, Overcingel has been owned by Het Drentse Landschap and since then the foundation has been working on a plan to make the stately building more sustainable and to restore it to its former glory. The preparatory work started last January, now the workmen have really started.
Jute floors and heating from 1937
All kinds of discoveries are made during the renovation of the 18th-century country house. For example, vulnerable paper wall decoration has been found in various places. And on the upper floor, in what will soon become the living room, an old jute floor has been discovered under the carpet. For those who cannot imagine this: with such a floor it is a bit like walking on wallpaper.
“Jute floors were popular in the early decades of the twentieth century,” says Tappel. “But after about twenty years there was usually little left of such a floor, you don’t find this very often anymore. But here too you see a lot of wear and tear and there is little to save. We are going to remove a piece for our archive, the rest will probably be lost during the renovation.”
According to Tappel, the finds in Overcingel say something about the history of the estate and its inhabitants. “Notables lived here who could afford the latest fashion, also in the residential area. Thanks to these finds, we know more about what exactly was popular in this region at that time.”
Renovation costs 1.5 million
The renovation of Overcingel will take about a year and will cost Het Drentse Landschap around 1.5 million euros. But then you also have something: an apartment for a complete family, a bed & breakfast and four period rooms for guided tours and small-scale gatherings such as weddings. The intention is that a resident who has yet to be found will rent Overcingel from Het Drentse Landschap and exploit the various spaces himself.
“Until then, a lot still needs to be done,” says Tappel. “For example, the central heating is handled with great care. Not easy, because the system dates from 1937 and is monumental. And then you also have the old walls, which do not always offer the possibility to insulate to modern standards. Completely off the gas is therefore not an option here, but we are trying to get as far as possible.”
Cold in winter
Tappel hopes that more nice details will emerge here and there. Especially since he has become attached to Overcingel. For nearly three years he lived in this place, as a kind of anti-squat measure by his employer. However special it may be, he does not miss life on the estate.
“It was very intensive. If painting has to be done here, it will take them nine months. And to maintain the outside, ten gardeners walk around here. There is always something that needs to be done and people are walking around your house. And I’m not even talking about the cold in the winter. It was a great time, but I now live in a residential area again and I like that.”