New Strijen
In 1307, William III, Count of Holland and Zeeland, leased the Strijen salt marsh in the mouth of the Striene to Sir Boudewijn van Irishke, who in 1310 issued the salt marsh to Willem Aernouts for diking off. The diking-off of the Nieuw-Strijen polder must have taken place shortly after this. The hamlet of Nieuw-Strijen, also called Strijenham, arose on this polder, which at the time covered approximately 90 ha.
The names Oud-Strijen, Nieuw-Strijen and Strijenham are connected to the southern Striene mouth, and are reminders of the river forming the border between Zeeland and Brabant. The boundary between the county and the dukedom was located approximately here until the 13th century, which border moved further eastwards in the course of time, as a result of land reclamations. If you cross the dike, you arrive in the hamlet of Strijenham. In olden days, most of the residents of this hamlet were boatmen who had their ship close to their house. Back then, roads were poor, and waterways were much more important than they are now. Roads were often unsuitable for use in olden days, and people traveled more comfortably by boat.