Along remnants of the sugar industry
Roosendaal, Oudenbosch, Stampersgat
In Roosendaal, the sugar processing industry is still very much alive. Sweet products like Winegums by Red Band, icing sugar by Van Gilse, Duo Penotti chocolate spread and Lonka fudge come from this town. The history of the sugar industry in West Brabant goes way back. In 1858, the first beet sugar factory in the Netherlands was opened in Zevenbergen. Just 15 years later, 20 of the 33 sugar factories established in the Netherlands were in West Brabant. In a very short time, tall chimneys and huge factories had risen in the flat landscape. The sugar factories were built in existing (peat) harbours of places like Roosendaal, Oudenbosch and Bergen op Zoom. But also in outlying areas on navigable water in municipalities such as Oud Gastel, Dinteloord and Etten-Leur. Extracting sugar from sugar beet was a complicated process requiring expensive machinery. Capital to realise sugar factories came from Amsterdam industrial circles, from some Belgian sugar factory owners, but mostly from local capital owners without any experience in the sugar industry. Above all, it was the predicted profitability that enticed them to invest. The sea clay soil in this region was very suitable for growing sugar beet. The navigable water ensured that the harvested beet could be easily brought in from all around the area (especially from Zeeland) via ships. The proximity of railway lines also played an important role. Despite the huge investments, the factories only operated for part of the year. This was because sugar beet had to be processed in the sugar factories immediately after harvesting, otherwise the sugar content declined. Sugar beet harvesting lasted three to four months and started from around September. This processing period was called the sugar beet campaign. Almost all residents of the surrounding villages were engaged in the sugar beet campaign at that time. Beets were transported by carts, ships and even over a local narrow-gauge railway built for that purpose. The west of Brabant still has the largest number of sugar beet farmers in the Netherlands, together with Zeeland. Because Dinteloord, near Stampersgat, is home to 1 of the 2 last remaining sugar factories in the Netherlands, the sugar beet campaign still takes place every year. Virtually all sugar beet in a line below Rotterdam and Nijmegen is brought to Dinteloord's modern sugar factory and processed. This cycle route takes you to important sugar villages, (old) sugar factories and houses of sugar manufacturers. Treat yourself to an ice cream or other sweets along the way. This premium route was compiled by our editor: Elwin Croeze
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
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Start: Rucphenseweg , 4715 TD Rucphen | 37.2 KM | |
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From
74
to
72
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2015 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Rucphenseweg | 41 M | ||
| Turn left onto Gastelsebaan | 266 M | ||
| Turn left onto Heimolendreef | 1.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
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From
72
to
4
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688 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head south on Hellemonsdreef | 688 M | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
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From
4
to
2
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4701 M | 4.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Rucphensebaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Rucphensebaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Ettenseweg | 135 M | ||
| Turn left | 101 M | ||
| Turn right onto Van Beethovenlaan | 561 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Van Beethovenlaan | 845 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 24 M | ||
| Turn right onto Boulevard | 119 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Brugstraat | 452 M | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
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From
2
to
3
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894 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Stationsplein | 894 M | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
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From
3
to
69
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2853 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Markt | 402 M | ||
| Turn right onto Burgemeester Freijterslaan | 39 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Burgemeester Freijterslaan | 37 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Burgemeester Freijterslaan | 20 M | ||
| Turn right onto Wouwseweg | 800 M | ||
| Turn right onto Mesdagstraat | 139 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Mesdagstraat | 43 M | ||
| Turn left onto Burgemeester Freijterslaan | 337 M | ||
| Continue onto Heirweg | 1 KM | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Heirweg | 32 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
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From
69
to
65
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1461 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head north on Vroenhoutseweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
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From
65
to
66
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4643 M | 4.6 KM | |
| Head north on Vroenhoutseweg | 341 M | ||
| Turn right onto Holterbergsestraat | 1.4 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Wildenhoeksestraat | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left to stay on Wildenhoeksestraat | 82 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Holderbergsedijk | 689 M | ||
| Keep left onto Holderbergsedijk | 292 M | ||
| Keep right onto Holderbergsedijk | 658 M | ||
| You are now at section 66 | 0 M | ||
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From
66
to
67
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378 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Gastelseweg | 378 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
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From
67
to
68
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2224 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Gastelsedijk Zuid | 225 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Gastelsedijk Zuid | 364 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Gastelsedijk Zuid | 1.4 KM | ||
| Keep left onto Gastelsedijk Zuid | 216 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
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From
68
to
25
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2563 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head north on Gastelsedijk West | 829 M | ||
| Keep left onto Gastelsedijk West | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right | 76 M | ||
| Turn right onto Gastelsedijk West | 556 M | ||
| You are now at section 25 | 0 M | ||
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From
25
to
28
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1076 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head east on J.F. Vlekkeplein | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 28 | 0 M | ||
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From
28
to
7
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2084 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head north on Sint Antoinedijk | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 07 | 0 M | ||
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From
7
to
31
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2414 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head east on Sint Antoinedijk | 2.4 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Sint Antoinedijk | 21 M | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
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From
31
to
81
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2700 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head south on Standdaarbuitensedijk | 335 M | ||
| Keep right onto Peeter Ceelen Keetweg | 71 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Peeter Ceelen Keetweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left | 567 M | ||
| You are now at section 81 | 0 M | ||
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From
81
to
80
|
600 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head south | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto Drie Weikes | 8 M | ||
| Turn left | 148 M | ||
| Turn right | 338 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zandeweg | 100 M | ||
| You are now at section 80 | 0 M | ||
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From
80
to
84
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3260 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head south on Molenstraat | 791 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vaartweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Zwarthoofdseweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 84 | 0 M | ||
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From
84
to
54
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758 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head south on Pastoor van Breugelstraat | 387 M | ||
| Keep right onto Pastoor van Breugelstraat | 371 M | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
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From
54
to
73
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422 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head south on Pastoor van Breugelstraat | 365 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Pastoor van Breugelstraat | 57 M | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
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From
73
to
74
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1447 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head west | 37 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rucphenseweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M |