Gouwe winds for less than 15 km. A long channelized river in South Holland. It rises in Alphen aan den Rijn on the Oude Rijn and flows into the Hollandse IJssel in Gouda.
History of the Gouwe
In Latin documents from 1139 and 1178, the Gouwe is referred to as ‚Golda‘.
The original source of the Gouwe was in a swamp to the west of present-day Boskoop. In the 13th century it joined the Oude Rijn by a canal, which at that time was no longer a main branch of the Rhine. In the 15th century the Gouwe was canalised and became part of the most important shipping route in the Netherlands, connecting Dordrecht with Haarlem and later Amsterdam. The building of the old customs house (Oude Tolhuis) at the old harbour lock in the Gouda bears witness to this period.
Present day
The connection with the Oude Rijn has long been attributed to Gouwe by name.
It is approved for ships up to 90 m long, 9.5 m wide and 2.8 m draft. A significant part of the heavy traffic consists of container ships.
It is one of the most important drainage routes for the Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland drainage association. Whose territory extends from Amsterdam to Gouda.
The current estuary is therefore proposed one kilometre south-west of the old town of Gouda. It consists of the Stroomkanaal harbour with a large pumping station and the Gouwekanaal harbour. Which leads via the Juliana lock to the port of Voorhaven.
On the northern edge of Gouda, a motorway has been built in the riverbed below the river, so that the river now flows through the aqueduct
