# Doel

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Ghost town in Belgium

For other uses, see [Doel (disambiguation)](/source/Doel_(disambiguation)).

Village in Flemish Region

Doel Village Doel: Nuclear power plant and 17th century windmill on the Scheldedijk Seal Doel Location in Belgium Coordinates: 51°18′36″N 4°15′49″E / 51.3099°N 4.2637°E / 51.3099; 4.2637 Country Belgium Region Flemish Region Province East Flanders Municipality Beveren Area [1] • Total 25.60 km2 (9.88 sq mi) Population (2021)[2] • Total 110 • Density 4.3/km2 (11/sq mi) Time zone CET

**Doel** is a subdivision of the [municipality](/source/Municipalities_of_Belgium) of [Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht](/source/Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht) the [Flemish](/source/Flanders) [province](/source/Provinces_of_Belgium) of [East Flanders](/source/East_Flanders) in [Belgium](/source/Belgium). It is located near the [river](/source/River) the [Scheldt](/source/Scheldt), in a [polder](/source/Polder) of the [Waasland](/source/Waasland). Since 1965, there have been plans to extend the [Port of Antwerp](/source/Port_of_Antwerp) into Doel and demolish the village. However, protests have caused a stalemate. On 30 March 2022, a deal was reached and the village is allowed to exist.

## History

The first mention of the village dates from 1267, when "The Doolen" name is first mentioned.[3] Until the 18th century the village was an island surrounded by purposefully flooded land,[4] with the remainder, north of the village, known as "The Drowned Land of [Saeftinghe](/source/Saeftinghe)".[5] The "Eylandt den Doel" is completely surrounded by old seawalls. The [dike](/source/Levee) encloses the hamlets of "Saftingen", "Rapenburg" and "Ouden Doel" (Olden Doel).[6]

The Doel polder site is unique to [Belgium](/source/Belgium) and dates back to the [Eighty Years War](/source/Eighty_Years_War) (1568–1648). The typical checkerboard pattern dates from 1614, when these geometric farmlands were first mapped, and they have seen little change over the years. This fact makes the village a rare example of regional [urbanization](/source/Urbanization).[4] The village has many historic buildings, including the oldest stone [windmill](/source/Windmill) of the country (1611), and the only windmill on a sea wall. The [Baroque](/source/Baroque) Hooghuis (1613) that is associated with the entourage and holdings of the famous 17th century [Antwerp](/source/Antwerp) [painter](/source/Painting), [Peter Paul Rubens](/source/Peter_Paul_Rubens).[7]

Some of the other historical and cultural buildings in the town area are the "Reynard Farm" (De Reinaerthoeve), with a monumental farmhouse and barn. "De Doolen" is a historic school. "De Putten", or "The Wells", is a [peat](/source/Peat) extraction area and has an historically unique 18th-century farmstead and inn site "The Old Hoefyzer", with one of the last remaining historic barns.[8]

## Doel Nuclear Power Station

Main article: [Doel Nuclear Power Station](/source/Doel_Nuclear_Power_Station)

[Electrabel](/source/Electrabel)-owned [Doel Nuclear Power Station](/source/Doel_Nuclear_Power_Station) is located to the north of the village of Doel. Its four reactors can produce a total output of 2.9 GW of electricity for consumers in [Belgium](/source/Belgium), [France](/source/France) and the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands).[9]

## Doel demolition

Street view in 2017

Since 1965, there have been plans to enlarge the [Port of Antwerp](/source/Port_of_Antwerp) and demolish the village of Doel to be replaced with petrochemical industry. This has seen many people having to sell their homes to the development corporation of that enlargement; however, some people resisted the plans. In the middle of the 1980s, the plans were halted, only to be revived in 1995. Many historic buildings have already been demolished. As of 1 September 2009, people are no longer allowed to live in the village.[10] In 2021, there were still 19 people living in the village and 91 in the surrounding area.[2]

A memorial to British soldiers killed nearby during World War II was removed from the town square during the early morning hours in 2011, according to a BBC report.[11]

On 30 March 2022, a compromise was reached after a 24-year long legal battle. The Port of Antwerp is allowed to extend its container harbour, and the village of Doel is allowed to exist. A green buffer zone will be created between the harbour and the village. The World War II monument will also be returned to its original location.[12]

## Gallery

		- [Street art](/source/Street_art) by [Ces53](/source/Ces53) in Doel. Since the depopulation of Doel, it is attracting street artists.

		- Street view

		- Flowers at the War Memorial

## See also

- [Ghost town](/source/Ghost_town)

- [Ruigoord](/source/Ruigoord)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-erfgoed_1-0)** ["Doel"](https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/themas/13948). *Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed* (in Dutch). January 1976. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-stat_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-stat_2-1) ["Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 46003E"](https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/opendata/bevolking/sectoren/OPENDATA_SECTOREN_2021.xlsx). *Statistics Belgium*. Retrieved 4 May 2022. Including Ursel (2,817)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Van de Doolen naar den Doel"](https://www.standaard.be/cnt/H02E44JC). *De Standaard*. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-doel2020_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-doel2020_4-1) ["A unique village by the river Scheldt"](http://doel2020.org/page.php?ID=134) (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Het Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe"](http://www.historien.nl/het-verdronken-land-van-saeftinghe-ii/). *Historien* (in Dutch). 28 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["20190617 FAQ infomarkt ontwerp voorkeursbesluit"](https://www.cpeca.be/sites/default/files/atoms/files/20190617-faq-infomarkt_0.pdf) (PDF). *Havengebied Antwerpen* (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Doel2020 - A unique village by the river Scheldt"](http://www.doel2020.org/page.php?ID=134). *doel2020.org*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Leven in erfgoed"](http://www.doel2020.org/page.php?ID=482). *Doel 2020* (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Planned and unplanned outages affecting generation units"](https://www.elia.be/en/grid-data/power-generation/planned-and-unplanned-outages-affecting-generation-units#). *Elia Group* (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["De teloorgang van een Scheldedorp"](https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2009/08/28/de_teloorgang_vaneenscheldedorp-1-582620/). *VRT* (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Belgian village in uproar as UK war memorial relocated"](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-12914070). BBC. 30 March 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [""Historisch akkoord": procedure tegen uitbreiding haven van Antwerpen stopgezet, Doel en haven winnen allebei"](https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2022/03/29/procedure-tegen-uitbreiding-antwerpse-haven-wordt-stopgezet-hav0/). *Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie* (in Dutch). 31 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Doel](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Doel).

- ["Bulldozing Belgium: A photo essay."](http://www.thingsmagazine.net/projects/024/info.htm)

- [AVN.be](https://web.archive.org/web/20070923105215/http://www.avn.be/uk/4_nucleaire/6_2_nucleaire_belgique.asp), AVN plants page

- [Erfgoedgemeenschap Doel & Polder (in Dutch).](http://www.egdp.be) See: [Heritage and Community of Doel (in English).](http://www.egdp.be/english.php)

- [Residents Association Doel 2020.](http://www.Doel2020.org)

- [Doel: The ghost town graffiti artists tried to save](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-30348086)

v t e Belgian municipality Beveren Deelgemeentes Beveren Haasdonk Kallo Kieldrecht Melsele Verrebroek Vrasene Other settlements Doel Buildings Church of Our Lady, Melsele Doel Nuclear Power Station Freethiel Stadion Organ collection Ghysels Category Commons Belgium Portal

Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Israel Geographic MusicBrainz area

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Doel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doel) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doel?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.