Zanddijk

The hamlet was probably founded in the first half of the twelfth century when some local farmers went to live on a dike made of sand, for which the hamlet was named.[4] (Zanddijk literally means "sand dike".) By 1153 Zanddijk had become a lordship.[4] In 1247 Hendrik Wisse van Borsele inherited the lordship and had a fort constructed there.[4] Under Van Borsele, Zanddijk grew into a wealthy village.[4] Veere was founded on the lordship's territory and quickly grew into a city, overshadowing Zanddijk itself.[4] In 1347 it split off from the lordship.[4] In 1439 parts of Zanddijk were acquired by Veere and in 1574 the rest were put under its control.[4] During the Beeldenstorm its church was damaged but not destroyed; but soon after, it was destroyed anyway.[4] In 1572 Veere went over to the Dutch and provided troops for the Siege of Vlissingen.[4] During the Eighty Years' War, in 1748 it counted only 416 inhabitants.[4] During the Coalition Wars the French built fortifications around the village.[4] In the 1930s its strategic position again saw Zanddijk the location of a line of fortification.[5][6]