Spaarne

Geobox River
name = Spaarne
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =

---

image_size = 240px
image_caption = Mouth of the Spaarne
country = Netherlands
country1 =
state = North Holland
state1 =
region =
region1 =
district =
district1 =
city =
city1 =
length = 10.5
watershed =
discharge_location =
discharge_average =
discharge_max =
discharge_min =
discharge1_location =
discharge1_average =
source_name = Ringvaart
source_location = Cruquius
source_district =
source_region =
source_state =
source_country =
source_lat_d =
source_lat_m =
source_lat_s =
source_lat_NS =
source_long_d =
source_long_m =
source_long_s =
source_long_EW =
source_elevation =
source_length =
mouth_name = North Sea Canal
mouth_location = Spaarndam
mouth_district =
mouth_region =
mouth_state =
mouth_country =
mouth_lat_d =
mouth_lat_m =
mouth_lat_s =
mouth_lat_NS =
mouth_long_d =
mouth_long_m =
mouth_long_s =
mouth_long_EW =
mouth_elevation =
tributary_left =
tributary_left1 =
tributary_right = De Liede
tributary_right1 =
free_name =
free_value =


map_size = 240px
map_caption = Location of the Spaarne in dark blue.The Spaarne is a river, in North Holland, the Netherlands. This partially canalized river connects the Ringvaart to a side branch of the North Sea Canal. It runs through Heemstede, Haarlem, and Spaarndam.

The historic canals of Haarlem's moats are connected to the Spaarne. A lock at Spaarndam separates it from the North Sea Canal.

According to Sterck-Proot, a historican, the name Spaarne probably comes from "Spier", which means reed in old Dutch.

History

The river formerly flowed from the Haarlemmermeer (Haarlem Lake) to the IJ Bay, which used to extend from the Zuiderzee all the way to Velsen. In the 13th century, a dam with locks were constructed at the mouth of the Spaarne where the village of Spaarndam then formed.

After a century of planning, Haarlem's Lake was pumped dry in 3 years from 1850-1853 and made into a polder. The Spaarne became a branch of the Ringvaart, lost much of its flow, and became shallower.

The construction of the North Sea Canal (completed in 1876) reduced most of the IJ Bay into polders but a small canalized section of the IJ remained at Spaarndam to connect the Spaarne to the new canal.

The river was deepened for the benefit of industries along its shores.

Places of interest along the riverbanks

* At the juncture of the river and the Ringvaart is the Cruquius Museum, a museum that resides in one of the three original pumping stations from 1850. Steam engines were used to pump the water out from the Haarlemmermeer polder.
*Castle Heemstede
*Many historic buildings in the centre of Haarlem, including:
**The Weigh House of Haarlem
**Teylers Museum
**Teylers Hofje
**Windmills "De Hommel", and "De Adriaan".

References

* J.M Sterck-Proot, Tjeenk Willink, "Haarlems oudste tijden: een vroeg-middeleeuwsch stadsbeeld", Haarlem, 1930.
*Bert Sliggers a.o., "De loop van het Spaarne; de geschiedenis van een rivier", Haarlem, Schuyt, 1987.