Opperdoes

History

The exact age of the village of Opperdoes is hard to determine. The village used to be located very close to the sea, and the area has been flooded several times. Initial settlements seem to have been abandoned after the year 300 because of large floods. New villages were later built on terps. Opperdoes used to be located 4 or 5 kilometres from the sea-dike that existed around 781. However, the dike was in a very bad condition and in 1318 Willem van Henegouwen, the ruler, agreed the build a new dike. In 1334 a new dike was built between Medemblik and Barsingerhorn. The new dike was built 4 kilometres southwards of the old one and Almersdorp, a village, was left outside the new dike. In 1517 the old church of Opperdoes and many buildings were destroyed by Grote Pier and his Frisian army, the Gelderse Friezen. A new church was built, and it was ready in 1530. The top of the tower of the church was replaced in 1838, after it was destroyed in a storm in November 1836. Opperdoes was a separate municipality between 1817 and 1979, when the new municipality of Noorder-Koggenland was created.