The Lonely Oak in the Star Forest

The Lonely Oak stands in the middle of De Manege, built by the lord of Amerongen Castle, Frederik van Reede, in 1790. Seen from above, this area resembles an eight-spoke wheel, of which Lone Oak is the linchpin. The round lanes of the wheel were used as a bridle path, hence the name Manege. Here the children of the castle could learn to ride horses. Another name for such a trail pattern is Star Forest. Star forests are inspired by French garden architecture and were more often laid out on estates and country estates. They also provided sight lanes along which hunters could sighting crossing deer and roe deer. Over time, the path pattern has become dilapidated and even 'spokes' have disappeared. Staatsbosbeheer started in 1990 with the restoration of De Manege in its original eighteenth-century form. In 2004, the Douglas forest within the circle was cut down and beech trees were planted along the spokes. Since then, the Lonely Oak has been central to the center of the circle again in full glory.
From the round bench under the oak, which stands on the hilltop of the star forest, I sniff the typical forest scent: fresh, autumn, last touch of summer, it's everything. At this giant oak, eight paths come together. The structure resembles a wagon wheel with spokes from an old carriage. Around 1790, The Riding School was completed. In the past, one of the avenues offered a view of the Dom in Utrecht, among other places. It's nice to let your gaze slide through all eight avenues and experience the different atmospheres.

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