Tea pavilion at Wallenpad

This tea pavilion built on an old fortress tower dates from shortly after 1760. The octagonal shape and the dome roof of this stone garden house are characteristic of that time. While the gentlemen were hunting, the ladies enjoyed their cup of tea there, of course inside to keep their skin nice and white; that was the fashion.

At first, it was believed that the tea pavilion belonged to Huize Torck, but several historians have confirmed that the pavilion was established by Gijsbert Carel van Hogendorp, a distant cousin of the famous statesman. He built it close to his home on Boterstraat on a plot by the city wall. The first cadastral map from 1863 shows that the plot was leased by Pastor Otto van Griethuizen. After his death in 1850, it changed hands a few times and for a while it was owned by landowner Jacob Marcus Rosenik (1775-1853), who owned Huize Torck, hence the confusion!

The pavilion, simple but beautifully constructed, is accessible via a staircase to a platform. The recessed access from the city is still visible inside. Outside, the old entrance has disappeared under the garden layout. The narrow hallway next to Niemeijerstraat 21 is the original access to the fortress tower.

Only in 1989 did the municipality of Wageningen purchase the pavilion and have it restored extensively. In early 2015, the municipality reserved €120,000 for another renovation to make the building future-proof. Actually, for this to happen, the building needs to gain a new function; it could be a very charming location for official receptions or small wedding ceremonies.

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