Saint Martin's Heath

The Sint-Maartensheide is an agricultural and nature area located to the east of Bocholt and Bree.
Originally, this was a heathland area with some scattered oak woods. In 1870, grassland was already found in the southern part of the area, while the northern part mostly consisted of wet heath. In 1844, there were still 697 ha of heath. By the end of the 19th century, it was afforested mainly with Scots pine, which was suitable for the production of mine timber. By 1880, 241 ha had already been afforested with coniferous trees. After 1910, more pine forests were planted, and the heath was further cultivated. Later in the 20th century, the demand for mine timber decreased, and oak forests were planted on ridges. Especially after World War II, cultivation for agriculture followed, resulting in a small-scale landscape with plots of deciduous and coniferous forest, fields, and meadows. To the south of that lies a more open landscape.

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