It seems unlikely that the area has always been heathland. As mentioned earlier, forests began to appear everywhere soon after the last ice age. When, in the distant past, a population settled there that lived off agriculture, a simple way to obtain farmland was to burn down a section of forest. The cleared land could be used for farming for a time. It was fertilised with manure from domestic animals, but the possibilities were limited. Mainly because artificial fertiliser did not yet exist and the soil became depleted. People would then clear another patch of woodland and leave the original site to its own devices. Heathland then developed. The heather plant needs plenty of sun, so no heather grows under trees. If nothing else was done, trees would eventually reappear in that heathland and the cycle could begin again. However, the heathland was also used for grazing sheep. As soon as sheep are introduced to the heathland, no woodland can develop. As soon as any new saplings appear, they are eaten by the sheep. It follows that the heathland, which is often regarded as the natural vegetation of Drenthe, is in fact not. The natural vegetation is woodland, and the heathland is actually a cultural product. Until about fifty years ago, sheep farming was always an important source of livelihood in Echten. There are still several beautiful old sheep pens in Echten, though they are no longer used for that purpose. Sheep farming has come to an end. It is no longer a viable livelihood, and moreover, most of the heathland has disappeared due to its conversion into agricultural land. Now that sheep are no longer kept, this means that the heathland is gradually becoming overgrown.
This is very clearly visible in the heathland bordering Westerbergen on the north side. One advantage of keeping sheep on the heathland is that it keeps the vegetation short and makes it look beautiful, especially when the heather is in bloom.

For as long as anyone can remember, Westerbergen has therefore been a heathland. The map from the Municipal Atlas of the Netherlands dating from 1867 also gives the impression that the entire area was then one large heathland; yet there are indications that at least the present-day campsite – that is, the section situated on the south side of the public road – was used for agriculture in the distant past. This road is called Oshaarseweg, named after the hamlet of Oshaar, which lies slightly further west. These indications are the hedgerows: small embankments overgrown with trees and shrubs. In earlier times, when a piece of land was cultivated, such a hedge was erected around the plot. The intention was that the hedge should prevent drifting sand, whipped up by strong winds, from settling on the cultivated area. Another function was simply to mark the boundary of the land and, if the land was used as pasture, to prevent livestock from straying off the land. Historians believe that the hedgerows sometimes served other purposes as well, for example when they were constructed on either side of a road, and that under certain circumstances the hedgerows played a role in specific pagan religious customs.
It is generally impossible
to say how old the hedgerows are. Some date back to historical times, but small hedgerows have also been created in the recent past. Particularly if there is a ditch next to the embankment, the embankment usually did not originate very long ago, as the excavated earth was deposited on one side of the ditch. There is little information available regarding the origins of the hedgerows on Westerbergen. Even the well-known map from 1635, produced by Pijnacker, provides no definitive answer. A copy of this map hangs in the canteen. However, this map does show that the Oshaarseweg already existed at that time. Incidentally, one should not expect much from the roads of that era. They were little more than cart tracks through the heath. If a particular section became too worn, people would move a few metres to the left or right, so that the road was constantly being re-routed. It was not until 1922 that the Oshaarseweg was paved, and in 1966 it was asphalted. Between the Oshaarseweg and the campsite, specifically along the easternmost section, there is still a very distinct hedgerow. This is likely of ancient origin. For as long as anyone can remember, the area behind it has always been heathland. Yet it is not impossible that this area was once cultivated land. There is, in fact, further evidence to support this. The urn shards mentioned earlier were found quite close behind this wooded bank. They were all small fragments; no larger pieces or a complete urn were found anywhere. This suggests that the soil in which these urns were buried was once disturbed, and the most likely explanation is that a plough went through it.
The situation
is different in the rear section of the campsite, namely the area where the seasonal caravan site is located, as well as the area behind the paddling pool and the clubhouse. This section was first acquired by Westerbergen in 1966 to expand the campsite and was then entirely used as agricultural land. Reportedly, the central part of this area remained heathland until shortly after the Second World War and was only then first cultivated. The seasonal caravan site and the easternmost section had already been cultivated some time previously. It seems likely that the cultivation of the seasonal site took place a very long time ago. Surrounding this section is a hedgerow, whilst just behind it, on land that no longer belongs to Westerbergen, there are still many hedgerows which, in a curious manner, completely or partially enclose small, irregularly shaped patches of land. The significance of these hedgerows there is unclear, although there are theories on the matter; however, from this irregularity it can at least be concluded that there was some activity here in the distant past.

In connection with the hedgerows, it is worth noting that a so-called ‘markeweg’ runs along the south-western boundary of the campsite, flanked by hedgerows on both sides. The first section of the road, starting at the Oshaarseweg, is no longer in use and has almost become overgrown. The second section runs alongside the seasonal campsite and is still in use as a footpath. This section forms part of the yellow walking route. Regarding this road, it is worth noting that in the past, almost everywhere in Drenthe, the land situated some distance from the villages was jointly owned by the farmers, the so-called ‘markgenoten’. This was also the case in Echten. In 1879, the land was divided up, but the roads remained communal property. They remained the property of the mark and are still known today as mark roads. This division of the land had a peculiar consequence. For instance, the owner of a farm situated slightly west of Westerbergen could no longer reach his farm from Echten via the communal mark lands. It was, of course, possible to do so via the Oshaarseweg, which was owned by the municipality. The owner in question did not wish to be dependent on the municipality and, in 1880, created his own path across his own land from Echten to the farm in question. This path ran along the northern boundary of Westerbergen. The section of the red and yellow walking route from the third burial mound to the picnic area at the northernmost tip of Westerbergen is therefore still this old path, and traces of the road running from bungalow 105 to the third burial mound can still be found. It is said that something once happened on this path between the postman and some pretty young girls from Echten. Since then, the path has been called the ‘Juffertjespad’.

This text is taken from the booklet ‘Het ontstaan der Westerbergen’, compiled by Dr E.J. Offerhaus