The best hikes from bus stations around Hamminkeln

In 1571, it is noted that Ringenberg became Protestant. The parish no longer belonged to the Catholic parish of Dingden, but was oriented towards Hamminkeln, which was also Protestant. But what did that mean back then? Consequently, disputes repeatedly arose over who owned the church: the (Hamminkeln) Lutherans or the (Ringenberg) Reformed? In 1648, the Elector of Brandenburg (the Counts of Kleve had already been extinct for half a century) decreed that the church should serve both (Protestant) parties for worship. In the same year, 1648, he also enfeoffed one of his officers and comrades-in-arms from the Thirty Years' War with the lordship of Ringenberg. From then on, the von Spaen family (pronounced Spahn, not Spän) ruled there and had to set about rebuilding. For the village, castle, and church had been destroyed by the war, and the parsonage had burned down. In 1661, the castle was expanded into a Baroque palace. In the rebuilt church, a burial chamber was created under the choir for family members. A tomb slab from this period is still preserved (stands in the tower), and the saber under the organ also comes from the possessions of the von Spaen family. In the time of "Old Fritz", a new church was built, consecrated in 1754; the old one threatened to collapse and was demolished. According to the taste of the time and the plans of the architect Vierevandt from Arnhem, the church consists of an 8-sided brick building in the Dutch Baroque style, initially still without a tower. In 1907, a comprehensive renovation of the church took place, and only then was the 3-story tower with a Baroque "Schweifhaube" (curved hood) added. In 1933, the "Luther Oak" was planted in the square in front of the church to commemorate the 450th birthday of Martin Luther. In 1945, the church was largely destroyed. The burial vault and the wooden epitaphs (memorial tablets) of the von Spaen family were irretrievably lost. After the war, the architect Grütjen from Hamminkeln led the reconstruction; the church was reconsecrated in 1950. The then pastor Steinbach also ensured that displaced persons were settled on church grounds. Source: Evangelische Kirchengemeinde An Issel und Rhein

Idyllic parking lot, but unfortunately, everything of interest around it is fenced off. There's still potential here.

Although the bench is now in a state of disrepair, the view into the gorged Stapelbach valley is still worth it.

Awakening Ferns

Routing along this…

The Issel rises in Raesfeld in Westphalia and flows into the Ijsselmeer in the Netherlands. It served as a border for the Romans and the Franks, and its course gave rise to border disputes between the Duchy of Cleves and the Archbishopric of Münster. The town of Ringenberg was founded in 1329 after Dutch settlers had drained the Isselbruch and reclaimed it. The castle that stands today is largely the same as a 17th century structure, but dates back to a castle from the 13th century.

"The Protestant church in Ringenberg was built in the second half of the 18th century according to plans by the Dutch architect Vierevandt from Arnhem and consecrated in 1754. It consists of an elongated octagonal brick building and a 3-storey tower in the simple Dutch Baroque style. The tower has a tail cap on an octagon. The church dates back to a castle chapel mentioned as early as the 14th century. As early as 1571, the originally Catholic church was transferred to the Evangelical Lutheran community. The building was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War. The direct predecessor building was built from 1660/1661 and was so dilapidated in the 18th century that it had to be demolished. In 1907 and 1908, the church building from 1754 was extensively renovated and restored. The war damage at the end of the Second World War required the restoration of the coved framed mirror ceiling. However, the epitaphs in memory of the family members of the former lords of the castle, von Spaen, were irretrievably lost. Only a marble slab from 1768 in memory of Alexander Sweder von Spaen remained." https://www.hamminkeln.de/de/inhalt/evangelische-kirche-ringenberg/

In 2001, for the 25th anniversary of the Dingden local history association, this draw well was donated to the NRW Foundation and the Nabu. At the inauguration, Wendelin Haverkamp named the draw well "Anton". Anton van Stegen was on the board of the Dingden local history association for many years and built this well. He still feels responsible for the draw well and regularly visits the well to check that everything is in order. The wood of the swinging tree (previously always made of oak) also has to be replaced every 5 years or so. Although Mr van Stegen would have liked to try it out with an acacia to see if it might be more durable. (Source: Bocholter Borkener Volksblatt, BBV)