Deventer, Dutch gables in an historic trade city

Most tourists flock to Amsterdam to marvel at what they know as Dutch gables on the narrow town houses along the canals of the canal belt. Most historic trade cities in the Low Countries feature these narrow high houses with decorative gable ends. Deventer, once a member of the Hanseatic League, is no exception. The centre is packed with historic buildings that feature a variety of styles including stepped, neck and bell gables, and the combined types that gave greater scope for individual expression for the home owner.

Most urban homes doubled up as a workshop, store or warehouse with living accommodation on the ground floor and first elevation. In the basement there was room for a kitchen ad servants quarters or it was a storage cellar. The loft space was often set aside for storage and thus many houses have hoists attached (left). An elongated neck gable next to a spout gable and a stepped gable, showing an overview of stylistic possibilities. Narrow alleys run in between the high density housing. The so-called Bergkerk is -as the name suggests- actually built on a mount.

Brick was the material of choice for urban buildings after 1500 as clay was readily available along the Issel river. On the left an example of a combined bell-spout gable from the 16th century. The neighbouring building with the large windows is almost two centuries its junior. Combined gables where very fashionable in Deventer as the middle picture shows with on the left a double neck gable, a bell-neck gable in the middle and on the right -over the carriage entrance- a bell gable with a central column. Not all seventeenth century houses had the iconic gable ends, but had hipped roofs that were used as part of the living accommodation. When there is no need for warehouse storage in the loft space the expensive high gable ends aren't constructed.