Monument Shipwreck De Valk
On the Engelsmanduun, in the Hollumerduinen on the western side of Ameland, there is a monument in memory of the shipwreck of the frigate De Valk.
What can you expect?
- Memory of a major shipwreck: On 10 November 1799, the frigate De Valk was wrecked off the coast of Ameland. The ship was sailing after the withdrawal of British troops from North Holland, following the failed Anglo-Russian invasion of the Batavian Republic.
- Many victims: On board were British soldiers, crew members, as well as women and children. According to local historical sources, 417 people lost their lives in the disaster. Only a small number of those on board managed to reach the shore alive.
- Mass grave in the dunes: The site near the Engelsmanduun is special because there is a mass grave here. As more and more bodies washed ashore, not all victims could be buried in the cemeteries of Hollum and Ballum. Some were therefore given their final resting place in the dunes.
- A memorial stone with its own story: The monument consists of a granite memorial stone. That granite came from the Johan Willem Friso, a ship that ran aground near Ameland in 1909 while carrying granite for the Peace Palace in The Hague. This means the stone for one shipwreck memorial was made from material from another shipwreck.
Those who walk through the Hollumerduinen come across a remarkable piece of island history at this monument. Between the marram grass and the dunes, this place recalls the power of the sea and the victims of the De Valk shipwreck in 1799.
Furthermore Monument Shipwreck De Valk is near the following sights: Engelsmanduun (±100 m), Bunker remains Herderpad (±100 m), Jan Roepes Heath (±175 m), Lange Duinen (±550 m) & Wellness & Beauty Boomhiemke (±700 m).
For information
Herderpad, Hollum, Ameland
Display Monument Shipwreck De Valk