Beulingsloot

This short canal is a remnant of and old drainage ditch that previously ran more to the West. Now it runs from the Singel to the Heren­gracht, near the Spui. With a length of only 50 m (164 ft), the Beuling­sloot (Beuling Ditch) is one of the shortest canals in Amsterdam, dug around 1600. It was probably named after Gerrit Jansz Beulinck, who lived near here around 1660 and had a sign with a beuling (a type of sausage) hanging from a building.

Beuling­sloot seen from the Beuling­sluis bridge on the Heren­gracht, looking towards the Singel. On the left the backsides of the houses on the Dubbele­worst­steeg, on the right the backside of the houses on the Beuling­straat (May 2021).

It is an atypical canal for Amsterdam, without quays. Around 1600 it was named the Heren­dwars­burg­wal (Gentlemen’s Transverse Rampart) — at that time the Heren­gracht (Gentlemen’s Canal) was the most western canal in Amsterdam.

Under the lens the Beuling­sloot on a map from 1625 by Balthasar Florisz van Bercken­rode (detail).
Here it is still called the Heere Dwars Burchwal (Gentlemen’s Transverse Rampart).

No zip code

The canal itself does not have any adresses: all buildings, directly on the water, are the back­side of the houses on either the parallel Beuling­straat on the southern side, or the Dubbele­worst­steeg (Double Sausage Alley) on the northern side.

Beuling­sloot seen from the Beuling­sluis bridge on the Heren­gracht, looking towards the Singel. On the left the backsides of the houses on the Dubbele­worst­steeg, on the right the backside of the houses on the Beuling­straat (May 2021).

Beulingstraat

The Beuling­straat (Beuling Street) — running parallel to the Beuling­sloot — was constructed during the city expansion of 1585, when the ramparts on the western side of the town were renewed. The street can be seen on a map by Balthasar Florisz van Bercken­rode from 1625. The Beuling­sloot (Beuling Ditch) was then still called Heere Dwars Burchwal, so it looks like the canal was named after the street later on. All buildings except two on the Beuling­straat are either a municipal or a national monument.

Beuling­straat, seen from Heren­gracht towards Singel. The houses on the left have their back on the Beuling­sloot (May 2021).

Only numbers 9 and 23 have not been registered as monuments. Beuling­straat 4 is a national monument, a ware­house dating from around 1700, the building runs all the way to the Beuling­sloot. Number 6A-L is a ware­house from the 17th or 18th century, with the backside on the Beuling­sloot.

Beuling­straat, seen from number 10 towards the Singel (May 2021).

Beuling­straat 8-10 is a municipal monument, dating from 1875 and restructured in 1898 together with numbers 12 and 14. These buildings were later united with Heren­gracht 401, housing a cultural group for boys called Castrum Peregrini from 1957, centered around German poet Wolfgang Frommel. In 2019 the foundation changed its name to H401, after investi­gation had shown that there had been sexual abuse in that Castrum Peregrini group.

Beuling­straat, seen from number 6 towards the Singel. The houses on the left have their backsides on the Beuling­sloot (May 2021).

Beuling­straat 1-3 is a national monument which dates from the end of the 17th century. At number 1 you can see a 17th century gable stone showing a golden kettle, placed there in 1987 from another demolished building. Beuling­straat 27, at the corner of the Heren­gracht is also a national monument, the ground floor has the entrance on the Heren­gracht 403A. Beuling­straat 11 housed the Catholic foundation “Liefdewerk de Katechismus” since 1907. In 1985 the Jesuits took over the building, now it’s known as the Ignatius­huis (House Ignatius).

Dubbele­worst­steeg

The Dubbele­worst­steeg (Double Sausage Alley) is an unassuming alley between Singel and Heren­gracht with a quaint name, renovated in 2007 and named after Lourens Dubbel­worst who lived here in the 17th century. In 1660 it was called the Steen­kopers­steeg (Stone Buyers Alley). The south side of the alley is all municipal or national monuments. The street name sign is attached up high to avoid being stolen.

Dubbele­worst­steeg, seen from across the Singel towards the Heren­gracht (May 2021).

The alley has odd numbering from 1 to 25, the façades covering the entire north side of the alley. On the southern (even) side the only two numbers are 2A and 2B, with the other side on the Beuling­sloot. Dubbele­worst­steeg 2A-B is a national monument, a ware­house from around 1700. At the other end is the side façade of Heren­gracht 391-393.

Heren­gracht with Dubbele­worst­steeg on the right (May 2021).

There was also another Dubbele­worst­steeg in Amsterdam, which was renamed in 1912 to Damrak­steeg. It seems Lourens Dubbel­worst also lived there at number 22 in the middle of the 17th century. Lourens died in 1672 in the house on the corner of the Dubbele­worst­steeg and the Heren­gracht.

Dubbele­worst­steeg, seen from Singel towards Heren­gracht (May 2021).

There seems to have been an inn for Frisian skippers and merchants in the alley which had a sign saying “Graaf van Vrieslant” (Count of Friesland), as well as an inn with many customers from Groningen. Until 1791 there was a docking spot for merchant boats called Groninger Steiger across from the alley.

Dubbele­worst­steeg street­name sign, at the corner of the Singel looking towards number 1 (May 2021).