The Vineyard Wall in History

It has often been claimed that the vineyard wall on the Wijngaardberg in Wezemaal dates back to the Middle Ages. This seemed logical, as during the late Middle Ages (13th-15th century), the Hageland region experienced a flourishing wine industry.

Historical research, however, revealed that there were few medieval vineyards in Wezemaal, except for a significant 13th-century vineyard owned by Arnold II of Wezemaal.

By the end of the 16th century, there were no vineyards left in Wezemaal. On two rare 16th-century maps, only forests are visible on what is now the Wijngaardberg. Additionally, no sources from before 1800 mention any trace of viticulture, and around 1800, there was no wine culture to speak of. The name “Wijngaardberg” was entirely absent. Pastor Bruno Provoost referred to the hill in 1778 as “Molenberg” (Mill Hill). This name indicated the summit of the Wijngaardberg, now also called Heilig-Hartberg, where a windmill stood from the 16th century until the early 20th century.

There is no evidence of a possible vineyard wall in the Middle Ages. No maps show any human-made structures (apart from the mill) on the Wezemaal hill.

The only certainty regarding medieval wine is that some vineyards existed on estates owned by noblemen. Thus, there was some viticulture, similar to the rest of Brabant, but not to the extent that one could speak of a distinct Wezemaal wine.

Nevertheless, Wezemaal is known as a wine village, thanks to the thriving viticulture in the first half of the 19th century. Historical research showed that J.F. Audoor was the founder of 19th-century viticulture.

At some point, this chief clerk at the High Court in Brussels obtained permission from the Duke of Ursel, the owner of the Wijngaardberg lands, to establish vineyards there. To start a vineyard with expertise, Audoor needed an experienced winemaker. He found one in Huy, where viticulture had not yet disappeared, in the person of 21-year-old Jean Théodore Wéry, who moved to Wezemaal with his wife and one-year-old son. By 1817, the vineyard already covered 6 hectares and continued to expand.

According to the cadastral register of 1834, there were two vineyard plots on the Wijngaardberg, totaling approximately 32 hectares. The cadastral map of 1852 finally included the name ‘Wijngaerdberg.’ It is noteworthy that in 1828, the vineyard produced no less than 325 hectoliters of wine.

Another notable event was the visit of William I, King of the Netherlands, to the Wezemaal vineyard on June 29, 1829. Leopold I also supported viticulture, leading to the establishment of small vineyards elsewhere in the province of Brabant, alongside the prominent Wezemaal vineyard.

Around 1845, however, this thriving wine industry abruptly ended for reasons that remain unclear. In 1847 and again in 1851, the Trappists of Westmalle purchased a total of 3,700 vines. This was clearly part of a liquidation and clearance sale. The abandoned plots were subsequently planted with pine trees.

Thus, the wine culture left its mark on the landscape of Wezemaal for just over 30 years. Silent witnesses are the still-visible terraces on the south slope and the remains of the unique iron sandstone vineyard wall on the ridge.

The vineyard wall, or “stone wall,” was likely built no earlier than 1814. Constructed from iron sandstone, it was more than man-height and 1.7 meters wide. It currently extends 1,546 meters. The iron sandstone used comes from the local area. Approximately six million years ago, the Hageland was last flooded by seawater, leaving sandbanks that oxidized into rust-brown iron sandstone as the seawater receded. This stone is very hard.

The vineyard wall was built for three reasons: primarily to protect the sensitive vines from the north wind. Additionally, it helped clear the vineyard soil of excess iron sandstone and served as a barrier against unwanted animals from the higher forest.

By the early 1990s, the stone wall in Wezemaal was still visible in the landscape but had fallen into disrepair, with the risk of disappearing entirely. Of its total length of more than 1,500 meters, 500 meters had already vanished.

Since the stone wall in Wezemaal is a silent witness to the area’s historical wine culture, and to prevent its complete disappearance, the municipality of Rotselaar took the initiative to have the wall classified as a monument.

The classification was achieved relatively quickly (on March 9, 1995), primarily because the stone wall is a very unique monument. Nowhere in Flanders, except in Wezemaal, is there a ‘vineyard wall.’

The municipality of Rotselaar subsequently launched a project to better promote and highlight the vineyard wall. To make it more accessible, new walking paths were laid on the south slope of the Wijngaardberg in 1998. The plan also included planting some vineyards, restoring the wall’s original function of protecting the vineyards from the north wind.

To complete the picture, there was the idea to set up a wine cellar in the vaulted basement of the old town hall in Wezemaal. Tourists could walk from the village of Wezemaal to the stone wall via the renovated paths and then return to the wine cellar in the village, where they could taste wine made from the grapes of the vineyards they had walked through.

The municipality realized this project with the support of several volunteers who were willing to plant vineyards on the south slope of the Wijngaardberg for the municipality and also set up and operate a small wine cellar in the vaulted basement of the old town hall in Wezemaal on a voluntary basis.

Nine volunteers formed a non-profit organization. Thus, our association was born with the fitting name: vzw Steenen Muur (Stone Wall NPO).