First mention of the farm on an official map is in 1615 when Floris Balthasar locates it next to the Castle Roucoop, to
which it probably belonged. The castle disappeared towards the end of the 18th century. The oldest part of the farm
house already existed in the 16th century and was built against a fortified tower, of which only the vaulted cellar
remains.
At the beginning of the 17th century the livestock area was added, creating the atypical L-shaped combination with
the house, unlike other farms in the Rijnland area. The livestock area now houses 2 classrooms.
The farm is located at the foot of a series of old dunes where arable farming was practiced. The lower adjacent
polder was only suitable for pastures. The making of butter took place in a separate building in the crook created
by the house and the livestock area. At the beginning of the 20th century the farm was dismantled and rebuilt to
house two and later three families. In the sixties changes were made to accommodate the creativity courses (see below).
In 1999 further remodelling and restoration took place.
The farm, now called Oud Woelwijck, is a national heritage monument.
Louise de Lang – van Schaik (1900 – 1993) was a talented painter; she studied at the The Hague Royal Acadamy
of Art. After her marriage to Ernst de Lang in 1944, the couple settled at the old Woelwijck farmhouse, where she dedicated
herself completely to painting, mostly portraits. Widowed in 1960, she developed her other creative talents and decided to
share these with other women. It was her firm belief that women should have the chance to discover themselves through
creative expression. She started all kinds of creative courses, remodelled the farmhouse to accommodate more students,
engaged more teachers and in 1968 formalized the work by creating the Foundation Oud Woelwijck. Her love of music inspired
her to have regular amateur chamber orchestra recitals as far back as 1961.
To guarantee the continuance of her life’s work, the Foundation Louise de Lang – van Schaik was
created when she died in 1993 to maintain the farm house, now a national heritage monument dating from the beginning of the
16th century, to keep the courses going through the Foundation Oud Woelwijck and to financially support social and cultural
activities in Voorschoten in a broad sense.
And now students still enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the idyllically situated monumental farmhouse, finding inspiration
in the peace and quiet that it breathes. Louise de Lang – van Schaik’s ideals are alive as ever.
Professional teachers offer a large variety of courses and in keeping the classes small, there is ample time for individual
coaching. The Foundation Oud Woelwijck is a government approved independent non profit organisation.
Are you interested in getting acquainted with the activities offered by Oud Woelwijck? Please feel free to drop by during
ongoing lessons. Aside from the courses, the workshops, the concerts and a small private party, it is also possible to
organize a lecture or an exhibition. For information contact the concierge.
For the complete programme, consult the index on the left.
Painting . sketching . pottery . clay modeling for children . mandala drawing . art history . yoga . gold embroidery . interior decorating . jewelry . flower arrangements . botanic water colours . photography . concerts .