The Sycamore of the Ravenstein Maasdijk

At 29 metres, this sycamore towers over the lime lane it stands in on the Ravenstein Maasdijk, and it may be a century older than the limes around it. The national register of monumental trees tells the dyke's story in three plantings. In the 19th century the Maasdijk was lined with elms. They were felled in 1918, which the register puts down to elm disease. In 1936 Rijkswaterstaat planted the lime lane that runs along the road today. The sycamore, the register says, presumably dates from the elm period. That 'presumably' is the register's own word, and nothing documents it, so the age here is a broad band rather than a date: planted somewhere between 1800 and 1850, which makes it roughly 180 to 230 years old. If that presumption holds, it outlived the elms it grew up with and then watched a new lane planted around it. What is documented is its condition. It is a recent entry in the register, inspected and photographed in 2026, and the inspector found a fine, intact crown in good shape. The register calls the combination of 29 metres of height and 3.4 metres of girth very special. It stands in a double row along the public road, although the register lists its owner as a company. Ravenstein is a fortified town on the Maas, about ten kilometres from Oss. Everything here comes from one source, the register. If you know when this tree went in, tell us.