Son en Breugel Travel Guide

When the Americans got to the Son Bridge, over the Wilhelmina Canal, they unfortunately saw it blown up in their faces.

All through the night of the 18/19 September 1944, the sappers of 14 Field Squadron, pressed into service some of the German prisoners and began to build the 100ft long Class 40 Bailey Bridge that was to carry the whole of XXX Corp.

It was completed at 06:15, but by now the operation was now over 30 hours behind schedule.

It took us a little while to find the new bridge, which was completed in 1983. This bridge can be raised to enable large boats to sail underneath. Whilst we were there it was raised, but this did not stop and intrepid local cyclist from weaving around the crash barriers and across the bridge, “That was lucky” he said with a smile as he passed us.

4 more images

The Sonse Heath is a nature reserve in the municipality of Son en Breugel, which covers 337 hectares and located west of the bowl is Son.

The area is municipal property, but is given in leasehold to Forestry Commission, that the management of this area performs.

The majority of the area is a plantation of Scots pine, while some deciduous forest is found. Within the area is the fens Oudmeer complex, surrounded by swampy area and heathland remnants, while in the west this a small sand dune area is maintained. This set is managed as a nature reserve and measuring 34 ha.

In the extreme southwest of the area is the Rendac, a large rendering plant. From here runs the Stink Walk to the Dommel. This watercourse argued earlier ink black stinking sewage, but nowadays this purified water.

The area, which is located on the Middle Brabant sand ridge, close to the west on the New Heath, and is bounded on the east by the bowl of Son. To the south lies the Wilhelmina Canal, and north is a heather-mining, which Sonse Sonniuswijk hamlet lies. Today, the eastern part of the area crossed by the motorway A50.