View tower Paardekop - Ysselsteyn

The Paardekop forest is higher than the surrounding area. This is clearly visible from the watchtower in the middle of the forest. The tower is 18 metres high and freely accessible.

De Peel used to be a rough nature reserve, consisting entirely of peat and therefore a very wet ground. The best way to cross the area was via the Paardekop. This is how a path came into being, called the Swarte baen or the Venrays path. On old maps you can see that there used to be a path here.

It is not known why the forest was given the name Paardekop. However, various stories are circulating. The most plausible is the story that a major battle took place here in the past, in which besides the warriors, many horses also died. The horses are said to have been buried at this spot in a tomb shaped like a horse's head. A battle hammer thousands of years old has also been found in this area. If you look at the shape of the Paardekopbos forest on the map, you might recognise a horse's head in it...