Blessum-October 2006.

It was a beautiful clear winters day, the sky was blue and the
sun was high and it was very cold and fresh.

We walked from Dienum, crossed over the railway line and
walked on the very narrow cemented walk/cycle track that
crossed through the farmers fields/meadows/pastures, (waailand).

At intervals we came across very narrow bridges with iron
grids and only one side of the bridge had hand rails, it was
so narrow that if you sat on your bicycle you would cross
over easily, also it was alright for a person one at a time to
pass.  of course the iron grids were put there so the sheep,
horses and cows would not be able to cross and run into the road.

As we crossed over the rail line there were some shetland ponies
laying down and one was playing, running and stretching they
were so beautiful and cute, they had an electic wire surrounding
the paddock where they were standing.

Just before entering Blessum we came to a dairy farm to our right
and what a quaint post box he had at his gate, an old fashion metal
post box shaped like a ox wagon on a pole and friesland cows
painted on it, I just has to take a photo of it.

Post box painted with Friesian cows on.

Then we approched Blessum the road had a bend to the left and
just after the bend, to your right there was a white house in the
distance that looked very clean, bright and cute and looked
like a little cottage.

Entrance to Blessum.

The further you walked into Blessum the more captivating
it became.  There were lovely houses linning the road left
and right that were very pretty and interesting.

House on your left towards church.

Blessum is a small village and falls under the municipality
Menaldumadeel, In the provence of Friesland (The Netherlands).
Close to the villages Deinum and Boksum.

Blessum is a village built on a man made hill (terp, heuvel). that in
the early middle ages stood to the west of the Middle Sea (Middlezee).
 
The village lies near to the Blessumervaart, to the north, it
connects to the Harlingertrekvaart now known as the Van Harixmakanaal.

You can access the village from the East over the Blessumerdijk.
later on in time the isolated, restful village became more accessable,
as in 1863 the rail line from leeuwarden -Harlingen came into use.

Train from Harlingen to leeuwarden.

  I took this photo of the train running from Harlingen-leeuwarden,
  it just happened to come by at the right moment.

In the last quarter of the 20th centuary East from the village,
westergoawei, parking terraine was built for traffic.

The church in Blessum had a road running around it in a circle.

What is interesting is that most of the foundations of the church
was dated to 1250 and was laid down by monks.

Church seen from different angles.

A large amount of the church in Blessum is mainly dated in the
14th Centuary.  On the North wall of the church is an early
Gothic-arched bowed window  to be seen.

In the 1500 the church was renovated and you can see the
decorative cement or stone work  of columns and small
statue nishes that have been built.
Most of the south side of the church has been renovated and
with big arch bowed windows.

The interior of the church tower in the 13th-14th century,
was in 1879 was cemented and changed with a arch.

There used to be two land houses (Stinsen) in Blessum.

One was to the west Ringiastate, which was built
around the 15th Century, and the first occupant was in 1469, 'Doecke Ringia'.

Later on the Ringiastate changed occupants a few times,
then in 1832  it was pulled down, all that is left today of this
land house is the two concreted columns with barok vases on top
that grace the entrance to the farm (boederij) that was built over
the original Ringiastate today, but it is not open to
public.                                        

Topright:Blessum in the distance from Deinum.  Middle: Shetland Ponies. Bottom Left:  The former Ringiastate columbs with barok vases on top.Bottom right: Farmers field ploughed over for potatoes.

When I took this photo of the gate posts, I thought 'how
beautiful it must have been in the 1800 with these gate
posts up and the original land house built there and the
other land house Winsmastate which has nothing
left not even the poort to say that it ever existed, except another
farm built on it place'. 

How sad to think that these beautiful buildings have been
demolished, Friesian history is gone, only gate posts left to stand
and admire if one is lucky to see anything left of this period not
like in the case of Winsmastate and many like these.

The other land house (stins), Wismastate, was on the
south side, and was pulled down in the 1800, but the port entrance
still stood till 1809 then was pulled down, another farm was built in
its place, but it is not open to public.