Wadden Island with an oval structure, the nucleus of which is formed by an endmoraine of the land ice in the form of a maximum of fifteen meters high boulder log: 'De Hooge Berg'. This moraine was created in the penultimate glacial period of the Pleistocene (the Saalian) and received a layer of sand in the last ice age (the Weichselian). Storm surges between the 4th and 8th centuries caused the creation of the Marsdiep and the separation of the mainland. After 1150, only the upper boulder hill with the adjoining deck sand heads remained above water: 'The Old Land of Texel'. Between 1100 and 1300 young dunes developed on the west side and Texel grew into three islands: 'Het Oude Land', Oeghe (De Koog) and - separated by a fork - the Eierland. The village of West, the most important village in the 13th century, was submerged in the 14th century (Westerduinen). The polder Waal and Burg was dug in 1436, flooded in 1532 and was reclaimed in 1617.
To the north, in 1630, a sand dike was constructed between De Koog and Eierland. On the east side the polders Eierland (1835), De Eendracht (1846, flooded 1953), Prins Hendrik (1847-'48) and Het Noorden (1876) were established in the 19th century. The Waddendijk was brought to Delta height around 1987. Texel is mentioned for the first time in 772 and around 960 first mentioned as an island. In 1289 the authority of the Count of Holland was accepted and in 1414 Texel received some trading rights from Count William IV. From the 16th to the 18th century, Texel's reason, at the location of the Texel stream on the southeastern side of the island, was important as a gathering place for trade and war fleets. Here (iron-rich) water was taken from the wells of the boulder area. In the latter days of the Second World War, Texel suffered greatly when Georgian prisoners of war, who were employed by Germans on the island, revolted. The Germans reacted fiercely. This event on 5 April 1945 is often referred to as the Russians revolt. Texel was only liberated by Canadian troops on May 20, 1945.
The grassland of 'Het Oude Land van Texel' is pre-eminently the place of Texel sheep breeding. In the middle of the 19th century, the sheep breed 'De Texelaar' arose, which was not so much for its wool or milk but especially for the lamb meat. After the 'pastures' in the 16th century had been abolished, sheep pastures with parcel separations came in the form of 'tuunwallen', built up of four layers with lozenges of grass and secured with poles. Within these meadows are often drinking colonies and the sheep fines characteristic of Texel. These have stone walls and a roof covered with pans (under) and thatched. On the east side there is a wooden spout, where from the wind the hay could be put through a hatch in the hayloft. These penances were already in the 18th century, but the more than seventy still existing copies are for the most part late 19th century. Good examples are: Oude Dijkje 11, Ruijslaan 79a, Oosterendseweg 11b and 38, Zuid Haffel 21, 41 and 44, Hoornderweg 2 and 42, Pontweg 79 and 116, Leemkuil 6 and Veenselangweg 7.
The most important settlements on Texel are: De Cocksdorp, De Koog, Den Burg,
Den Hoorn, Oostereind and Oudeschild. See elsewhere in this book.
