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September 28, 2025
September 27, 2025
Interesting and informative website – good info on a site which fair blew me away. Ironically, perhaps, since the wind had failed to remove me from the extraordinary cairn which towers above. What price the two sites have always worked in tandem?
On my tour to the Hunebeds in Drenthe and Groningen in July 2018, I unfortunately had to skip three hunebeds in the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch (D7 Schipborg, D8-Anloo-Noord and D11 Anloo-Zuid) due to lack of time. In September 2025, I was on holiday in Emsland for three days and took the opportunity to visit these three remaining hunebeds for the first time.
D8 Kniphorstbos aka D8 Anloo-Noord is an east-northeast to west-southwest oriented passage grave. No stone enclosure could be identified. The burial chamber is 7.9 metres long and 4.4 metres wide. It has four pairs of support stones on the long sides, one stone on each of the short sides and four capstones. The entrance to the chamber is located in the middle of the southern long side. Originally, there was a passageway made of two wall stones in front of it, but only one of these remains.
From the car park (N53.05981° E6.68464°), it is very well signposted (as are all Hunebeds in the Netherlands) and can be reached on foot in about 1 kilometre. I highly recommend also visiting tomb D7 Schipborg during your stay. It is a truly picturesque walk through the beautiful landscape of the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch. Along the way you’ll pass the burial mound Galgenberg (Strubben-Kniphorstbos) and, if you like, Driemarkenpunt.
Visited September 2025
If you plan to visit Hunebeds D7 Schipborg and D8 – Anloo-N, do yourself a favour and include during your scenic stroll through the beautiful landscape of the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch the cairns Driemarkenpunt and Galgenberg (Strubben-Kniphorstbos) during your walk (about 3.6 km).
In De Strubben Kniphorstbosch you will also find dozens of burial mounds from just about all prehistoric periods. One of the largest mounds is called the Galgenberg or Gallows Hill. In the Middle Ages places like this were chosen to hang criminals. The authorities would let the body hang for days on the mound so that passers-by could see the fate that awaited wrong-doers. And this place is still very busy, as many paths cross here, meaning that lots of pedestrians, walkers and cyclists pass by.
Visited September 2025
If you plan to visit Hunebeds D7 Schipborg and D8 – Anloo-N, do yourself a favour and include during your scenic stroll through the beautiful landscape of the Drentsche Aa National Park / De Strubben Kniphorstbosch the cairns Galgenberg (Strubben-Kniphorstbos) and Driemarkenpunt during your walk (about 3.6 km).
Compared to Les Hamilton’s photos from 2014, two things stand out. Firstly, the burial mound is once again surrounded by trees, and secondly, a small standing stone has been placed in the centre of the mound. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any further information on this.
Visited September 2025