Tomb of Nellesteijn

Initially, the Donderberg, northwest of Leersum, was covered with heather on which sheep were kept. At the highest point of the Donderberg, Cornelis Jan van Nellesteyn (1759-1832) had a Tomb built for his family in 1818 by Jan David Zocher jr. The superstructure has the design and appearance of a Roman temple. The substructure with burial vault has a sober decoration with a climbing frieze on either side of the entrance. A keystone at the top of the masonry round arch of the entrance mentions the year ANNO 1818. The first interment took place in 1822. In 1917 the twelfth and last family member was buried and the Tomb was finally closed. The mausoleum, built in neoclassical style, was connected to Broekhuizen Castle with a line of sight. It was also a viewing tower and belvedere. For a long time there was a small house attached to the Tomb. In 1828, the municipality of Darthuizen was given a piece of land at the foot of the tomb for the establishment of a cemetery. Until 1894, about 90 people were buried in this cemetery.

The photo above was taken before June 18, 2021, when the tomb on top of the hill was still surrounded by beautiful trees. On Sunday afternoon, this national monument is open at 36 meters above sea level from 12:00 to 16:00.

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