Doel "Ghost Town" - Belgium - October 2022
Located in an industrial waste land, is the village of Doel!
History
Dating back to 1267, Doel has a complicated past, in 1965 for the first (and certainly not the last time) plans to demolish the village surfaced.
Plans focused on the expansion of the port of Antwerp.
Doel was once known as the "Eylandt den Doel" surrounded by seawalls as well as purposefully flooded land.
During the eighty years war the village took on a checkerboard pattern (dating back to 1614) little has changed in the 400 years since then, making the village a rare example.
The village has its own nuclear power station, many buildings of historical significance and around 19 inhabitants.
Plans to demolish the village were seen again in 1995, and some historic buildings were lost, by September of 2009 people were "no longer allowed to live in the village".
In March last year a compromise was reached, after 24 years of legal and political battle, it was agreed that the port of Antwerp may expand and that the village could still exist.
My Visit
October was coming to an end and autumn was at its best. During my visit I was surprised to see the streets particularly busy for a "ghost town".
In fear of missing the ferry home we didn't stay as long as I'd hoped, although I did manage to take 100+ photos.
My dad and brother visited with me and were interested in the graveyard where they found a few peacocks, as well as notices on the graves discussing the inhabitants being moved!
Whilst they watched the birds I turned a corner where the smell of spray paint hit me and I encountered some people best described as less than friendly.
Some of these photos have ended up in my A-level art coursework where I've given Doel the slightly exaggerated title of "a nuclear ghost town"
Located in an industrial waste land, is the village of Doel!
History
Dating back to 1267, Doel has a complicated past, in 1965 for the first (and certainly not the last time) plans to demolish the village surfaced.
Plans focused on the expansion of the port of Antwerp.
Doel was once known as the "Eylandt den Doel" surrounded by seawalls as well as purposefully flooded land.
During the eighty years war the village took on a checkerboard pattern (dating back to 1614) little has changed in the 400 years since then, making the village a rare example.
The village has its own nuclear power station, many buildings of historical significance and around 19 inhabitants.
Plans to demolish the village were seen again in 1995, and some historic buildings were lost, by September of 2009 people were "no longer allowed to live in the village".
In March last year a compromise was reached, after 24 years of legal and political battle, it was agreed that the port of Antwerp may expand and that the village could still exist.
My Visit
October was coming to an end and autumn was at its best. During my visit I was surprised to see the streets particularly busy for a "ghost town".
In fear of missing the ferry home we didn't stay as long as I'd hoped, although I did manage to take 100+ photos.
My dad and brother visited with me and were interested in the graveyard where they found a few peacocks, as well as notices on the graves discussing the inhabitants being moved!
Whilst they watched the birds I turned a corner where the smell of spray paint hit me and I encountered some people best described as less than friendly.
Some of these photos have ended up in my A-level art coursework where I've given Doel the slightly exaggerated title of "a nuclear ghost town"
