The Iron Man

We are here at the highest point of the province of Brabant, 111.86 meters. This geodesic point, which has stood here for a century and a half, is popularly known as 'the iron man'. The explanation for this is self-explanatory, given the shape of the bell casing. However, the actual measuring point is within that metal carcass. Originally that 'iron man' stood on a brick pedestal, long ago that was replaced by concrete. The measuring point was already placed in 1863 as 'station géodésique' on the Kesterheuvel, it served as an orientation reference for altitude and location determination for Belgian cartography.

The view at the foot of the Iron Man is magnificent. Everywhere you see church towers in the undulating horizon and even further you may see the Brussels courthouse. The Wambeek poet Paul de Mont put it this way at the beginning of the 20th century:
How often I stood, in the morning sunbathing,
on Leeberg hill or at d'IJzren man!
From each village spouted a pointed tower ...
On each coulter toiled a horse-drawn ...
...
On twenty hills showed twenty mills
their rotating wick cross, huge...
In all the meadows heifers, horses, volens ...
On all the roofs tonig tiled red.
(From 'Aan mijn Payottenland')> Paul de Mont probably saw much more then than we see today from the Iron Man. After all, part of the view is hidden by the forest today. At the beginning of the 20th century this was not the case, almost the entire Kester hill was then cut bare. You could also see the Lion of Waterloo from here. The dozens of windmills that Paul de Mont saw have almost all disappeared, but instead you get a view of the office towers of Brussels in the distance... > On the forest side of the IJzeren Man you clearly notice the iron sandstone soil composition of the Kesterheuvel. After all, this 'mountain' is in line with the Flemish witness hills on which the West Flemish Hill Country and the Flemish Ardennes are also located. Prehistoric objects that were found here are proof that there were forms of habitation thousands of years before the era. The Romans also once had a camp at the foot of the Kester hill.

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