Wooden pants

The name Puidenbroeken refers to the 'puiden' (frogs) that lived here in the 'broeken' (marshes). It is thus clearly a natural toponym that refers to the wet environment. During the Middle Ages, this land was commonly used as grassland and pasture. In the first half of the year, hay was allowed to grow here; after the harvest, all the animals of the common owners were driven here for the winter, and the land was therefore used as common grazing pasture. Peat was also extracted here, and after the First World War, clay was even mined for brick production. The Puidenbroeken thus had a value that cannot be underestimated for the residents of the area, who regularly came here. The story goes that when people wanted to go home late in the evening after work, there was sometimes a ghost dog roaming around here. It would rattle chains, causing people to flee and sometimes even lose their way home. They would then wander around all night and only find their way back in the morning... Booking a guided tour with Natuurpunt, which manages the area today, is therefore no luxury...

Toerisme Middelkerke