Breedenborg

De Breedenborg, located near the village of Breede close to Warffum, is a historic estate that was largely destroyed by a fire in 1982, with only the cellar surviving. Thanks to the efforts of the Reenders family, the borg has been rebuilt and is once again a prominent landmark in the region.

The De Braemsche family founded the borg in 1587. Johan de Braemsche, from a farming family, rose to become the mayor of Emden in Germany. The Breedenborg was originally not a stone house but rather a country residence of a nobleman. The De Braemsche family remained the owners until the early 17th century.

The Clant family inherited the Breedenborg when Ida de Braemsche married Johan Clant. After their deaths in 1632 and around 1645, their son Johan became the owner. Through his marriage to his cousin, he also acquired the Menkemaborg, which he sold in 1682 to Mello Alberda. The Breedenborg was sold to Major Hendrik Sickinghe.

The manor rebuilt – around 1850, the Breedenborg was demolished by its new owner, Jacobus J. de Vries. He constructed a modern manor house on the original foundations, which has a block shape with a framed entrance, similar to the Ennemaborg.

The manor as a farm – in 1920, Ebel Klaas Bos and his family moved into the borg, continuing the farming operations. In 1968, a bungalow was added near the borg, which eventually grew into a farm. In 1963, the borg was sold to the municipality of Warffum, who transformed it into a hotel.

The gardens – although relatively small, the garden at Breedenborg is definitely worth a visit. It features elements of the English landscape style, similar to the Fraeylemaborg and Ekenstein, although its size is too small to be considered a full landscape garden. The garden was restored in 1990 by garden architect K.T. Noordhuis.

Apple trees – the current parking lot was once home to a large apple orchard. Though much of the orchard is gone, a few rows of apple trees remain, serving as a reminder of the past.

The garden house – a garden house now stands on the estate, offering a beautiful view of the borg and its surroundings. While it's unclear if the estate had a garden house in the past, it's likely, as most manors had one.

Stinsen plants – De Breedenborg boasts a rich collection of stinsen plants. Garden architect Noordhuis made sure that the existing stinsen flora was preserved in his design for the garden.