Nederland - Assen, Huis Overcingel

Huis Overcingel is a country house built in 1777 in the French style, commissioned by Johannes van Lier. This ontvanger-generaal (financial official to whom taxes levied in the province of Drenthe were paid) lived in the so-called Ontvangershuis. When that house became too small for his large family, he moved to the new country house.

The garden was also laid out in the French style: rectilinear paths and a rectangular pond - a real ‘grand canal’ - with a view of the estate. In 1824 Henricus van Lier, then the owner of the estate, had the garden redesigned in the English landscape style. Landscape architect Roodbaard transformed part of the garden with winding footpaths, flowerbeds, rolling hills and a gazebo. Due to urban expansion, nowadays approximately 5 hectares of the garden remain; a third of the original size.

The Overcingel estate remained in the possession of the Van Lier Lels family until 2019. After the death of Henk van Lier Lels, the estate was donated by the family to the foundation Het Drentse Landschap (a foundation that dedicates itself to preserving, protecting and developing nature, landscape and cultural heritage in the Dutch province of Drenthe). The garden can still be visited for a very minimal fee.