Stroobosschertrekvaart (1654-1656)

The Stroobosscher Canal has existed for more than 400 years and was for a long time an important waterway between Dokkum, via Gerkesklooster-Stroobos, to Groningen. A lot of passenger and freight transport took place via the water at that time. The towing path (now called Trekweg) next to the waterway was used by the horses that pulled the trekschuit. The Dokkum ship hunters had a resting place for the draft horses in the Frisian Stroobos. On the return trip, they made use of the equipped draft horses from the covered resting place.

The canal connected around 1900 to the dairy factory "Welgelegen" in Gerkesklooster and the Princess Margriet Canal. The first part of the canal, from Gerkesklooster to Kollum, was constructed in the 16th century. The remaining section to Dokkum was dug between 1654 and 1656 on the orders of the municipal authority of Dokkum.

Due to the high costs of constructing the canal (and disappointing revenues), the city of Dokkum went bankrupt. The ownership of the canal then came into the hands of a group of creditors. To recoup their investment, they built toll houses along the shipping route. The last toll house where tolls had to be paid on the Dokkum-Strobos route was called “De Laatste Stuiver”. This was located at the bridge where the Frisian road crosses the canal, hence the bridge is also named after it.

Along the Stroobosscher canals, there are still so-called roller poles and horse switching places from that time to be found, and even a toll house near Driesum.

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