Book a stay
A cottage and a thatched stable in our private park, with water on two sides, ancient trees, and a lake to swim in across the road.
Inside the UNESCO World Heritage landscape
Welcome
Welcome to the Betuwe, the Netherlands' green heartland: a mosaic of orchards, winding rivers and picturesque villages, known for its blossom and its cycling.
The only buildings in our park are our house, the Cottage and the Stable. It's a lot of work to look after, but we're very proud of it, and we hope you'll love it as much as we do. If you need anything, advice, help or a recommendation, just ask.
James & Desirée
Stay
Both are self-catering, fully heated, and have the run of the whole park. Book direct with us, or through Airbnb.
Built above a large pond, so it feels as if you have your own moat. French doors open from the living room onto your own deck over the water. Light, summery and warm in winter, with a big kitchen-dining-living room downstairs (espresso machine included) and the bedroom and en-suite upstairs.
Our old donkey stable, rebuilt in 2025 by a master oak craftsman on a solid oak frame, under a new thatched roof. A kitchen and sitting corner, a bedroom with French doors, a rain shower, air conditioning, and a terrace of its own among the trees.
The park
The park is almost two acres. A channel runs through it to make a little island where you can lie on a blanket in the shade of the huge old trees. Behind and beside us is a protected nature reserve, part of the Lingegebied & Diefdijk-Zuid Natura 2000 area, and across the road is De Waai, a lake you can swim in.
Look out for wild geese, hares, rabbits, frogs, woodpeckers, kingfishers, owls, cuckoos and pheasants, as well as our own cats, chickens and, sometimes, sheep.
The Diefdijk
The dike outside the gate has held back the floodwater for more than 700 years. Its name means the Thief's Dike: local legend has it the land was taken from the farmers without payment. The lake across the road was torn out of the ground when it broke on 13 January 1497. Today the dike is part of the New Dutch Waterline, UNESCO World Heritage since 2021, and our 1876 house sits inside that landscape.
Things to do
From a swim across the road to Utrecht's canals and the castles beyond. Here are a few of our 🌟 picks; the map has all of them, with drive times from the park.
Open the mapGetting here
Diefdijk 22, 4145 MJ Schoonrewoerd. We're just outside the village, between Leerdam and Culemborg, where the Betuwe meets the Green Heart. Utrecht is 25 minutes away and Amsterdam about 45 outside rush hour. You can park on the driveway.
Use Google Maps or Apple Maps rather than an older TomTom: older maps of our road have errors. For Utrecht, park for free at Culemborg station and take the train in (about 20 minutes).
Bring supplies if you're cycling. The nearest shop, in Schoonrewoerd, is 3 km away and closes early (no Sundays); supermarkets in Leerdam and Culemborg are 5–6 km. We don't serve breakfast.