Elp

The esdorp Elp originated in the Middle Ages, probably as a daughter settlement of Westerbork. The village used to have several brinks, of which those on the north and west sides of the village were the most important.

All the brinks disappeared in the course of the nineteenth century due to development and reorganization, and remnants can still be seen in some places. The street name Hogebrinksweg still remembers these brinks. Along this street are several eighteenth-century farmhouses.

Surrounding Elp are several smaller ash trees. The first mention of the village is found in writings from 1362. The name may indicate the presence of a certain type of trees, but it can also refer to a small water stream.

The village center is formed by the Boerstraat and the Hoofdstraat. These two streets together form a ring, from which the exit roads to Zwiggelte, Schoonloo, and Westerbork run. At Smalbroeksweg stands the country house De Zandhof from 1907. The house was built on behalf of painter and author Louis A. Roessingh. Since 1990, it has been owned by the Stein family and was named Steinborg. The large white plastered country house with stair gables and a roof turret consists of several linked construction volumes. There is a park-like garden by the house. In the twentieth century, Elp developed into a commuter village with an active community life and its own small primary school. The village expanded and saw new developments in Westerkampen and De Gloep.

Elp is located in a wooded area near the forestry of Hooghalen and Schoonloo. In the Elper Noorderveld, which borders the Grolloo forestry, the stream Elperstroom originates. Here lies the large peat pond Zwarte Water, also called Elpermeer. In the 1960s, a remarkable discovery was made. Archaeologists found a Late Bronze Age settlement near a prehistoric burial mound.

Remnants of ten farmhouses and nineteen sheds were uncovered. The farmhouses were of two different construction types, one of which is named after Elp. Source: Noordboek

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