THE LIGHTHOUSEMEADOWS

The bogs and ditches of the Vuurtorenweiden (Lighthouse Meadows) arose through a succession of peat bog formation, the deposition of silt after floods, gradual land reclamation and the extraction of peat.

The flora around the bogs includes reed, bulrush, water speedwell, water mint and hairy willowherb. Crested dog’s-tail and meadow barley can be found on the slightly higher, drier humps.

The meadows and the area around the ‘Barnse Vaartje' (the Barn Canal), which separates the Sashul from the Vuurtorenweiden, are breeding grounds for the water rail, moorhen, coot, northern shoveler, reed warbler, sedge warbler, bluethroat and Canada goose. The common snipe can sometimes be spotted in winter and during the migration season.

Facts:

The Heist High Lighthouse (1905) stands in the middle of the Vuurtorenweiden, and can be reached by a footpath. The tower was one of the very first all-concrete structures in Belgium, and was decorated with Art Nouveau elements and brick patterns. The restored Heist High Lighthouse was officially inaugurated in April 2005.