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.

Weekly market - Deventer

One of the most important chartered city rights pertains to the right to organize markets. In large historic cities the various specialised marketplaces still survive in the street names. There are markets for fish, eggs, farm animals in general, sheep, horses, pigs, cows, bulls, calves, butter, cheese, flower, grain, spices, salt, wood, coal, peat and cloth. Some markets were daily (fish, eggs etc.), some were weekly and others were seasonal (often once or twice a year). These old names for specialised markets also indicate the main trades of times gone by. Nowadays the weekly market caters mainly to inner-city residents that can buy flowers, plants, foodstuffs, clothing, dishware and household articles.

Deventer, once a member of the Hanseatic League,  was granted city rights in 956 and held several markets within its walls. At present the historic Brink Square forms the decor of the weekly market with stalls along its length. There is a general market at The Brink on Fridays and Saturdays. Another market is held every Tuesday at the Beestenmarkt (Animal Market).

The stall holders try to display their wares as attractively as possible. I couldn't pass by these blueberries without buying some. The melons also looked delicious, especially sold as ready-to-eat wedges. No Dutch market is complete without some stalls selling flowers directly from the auction.