The Feathered Frog is an extraordinary house in a very special location at the Egmond seafront. This thatched, wonderfully atmospheric, wooden cottage was built in 1922 and is now a holiday home for up to 8 people. With the exception of the bathroom and kitchen the house is pretty much as it was built with a monumental staircase in the living area and a cosy wintergarden facing the sea.

Upstairs you will find the spacious master bedroom with access to the west facing balcony. It is quite an experience to watch the often spectacular sunsets from here. Facing East is another double bedroom as well as a smaller room with a built in bunk bed. The bathroom, with bath, shower, basin and lavatory, is on the same floor and upstairs in the attic are two more single beds.

It should be noted that the house is not accessible to wheelchairs, that access to the attic is steep and not suitable for small children and all those who might have trouble negotiating these stairs and that the bunk beds in the smallest bedroom are just 1.85m long and therefore not suitable for very tall people.

A cot is available, as well as a number of high chairs. There is an internet connection in the living room and of course also a television and dvd player. The kitchen is well equipped with a combi-microwave, a dishwasher and all other normal equipment. The washingmachine is in a cubby hole by the back door.

There are terraces both in front of and behind the house and there is plenty of outside space for children to play. There is enough on site parking for 2 to 3 cars.

Together with the bungalow Dikkopje (Tadpole) on the same plot we have enough space for 12 guests.

Access to the beach is across the street, about 50m away. The house is about 200m from the centre of the village.

History

In the 8th century AD the missionary Adelbert built a small chapel near the hamlet of Hallum, on the edge of the dunes. From these modest beginnings evolved first a convent, then a monastery and eventually, around the middle of the 10th century, the Abbey of Egmond which was to play an important role in the government and administration of the lands held by the powerful Counts of Holland.

Some years later the fishing village of Egmond aan Zee emerged. Life in this small village must have been very hard but there is very little known about these early times. It is known that, during the devastating All Saints Flood of November 1st 1570 about 50 dwellings were swallowed by the sea. A big storm in November 1741 took not just 36 homes but also the large St. Agnes church. From the end of the 19th century the old fishing village slowly turned into a beach resort, which brought jobs and wealth but, at the same time, progress meant the destruction of a large part of the old village.

De Geveerde Kikker (the Feathered Frog) was built in 1922. The log house was designed and produced by the carpentry company Christoph & Unmack in Niesky, Silesia. At the beginning of the 20th century dozens of these houses were imported into The Netherlands. Today, about thirty of them remain.

The Feathered Frog was built as a weekend house by a businessman from the nearby market town of Alkmaar. After a few years the house was sold to a doctor from Amsterdam. He and his family spent many holidays in their Egmond house and upon his retirement he moved in permanently. He died there in 1982, shortly after his 100th birthday, whereupon the house was acquired by the present owners who were friends of the family.

The Feathered Frog is the oldest surviving house on the Egmond Boulevard. A few times it was almost destroyed. During WWII it was fortunately just outside the area that was razed to the ground by the occupying forces. During the war, German officers were billeted in the house. Since 2001 The Feathered Frog is a listed building and protected by this status.