Adelshuizen in Leeuwarden En De Klokslag

During the 13th century Leeuwarden became a town. In the 15th century the surrounding agricultural area, the so-called Middentrimdeel, was placed under the municipal law. Afterwards this area was called De Klokslag. During the pre-urban stage a few houses of noblemen can be pointed out in this area. It is suggested that one of those houses, the Camminghaburg, belonged to an important landowner. The other one, the Papingastins, belonged to a person who played a role in the reclamation of polders along the Middelzee. During the urbanization of Leeuwarden the nobility built several fortified stone houses in this town. One of these, the Amelandshuis, has been archaeologically investigated. The owners used these houses to express their ownership of a large plot. They allowed townsmen to built houses along the edges of these plots in order to collect rents. In the period 1496-1498 the houses of the noblemen lost their defensive value. From c. 1490 on building in stone became more common. In this period the noblemen built large mansions to insure that their status was made clear. One of those mansions, the Kapittelhuis, was also archaeologically investigated.