The name of this alleyway has always remained a source of debate. The most probable meaning is ‘heksengat’ (witches’ lair): it is mysterious, dark and possibly once the home of ‘female sorcerers’.
Stone pavement
Woudsend enjoyed a highly prosperous period during the 18th and 19th centuries by virtue of its shipbuilding and commercial shipping. The fact that the
Midstrjitte was paved with stones at that
time is symbolic of such prosperity. Paved
streets were, at the time, considered as a
sign of substantial wealth.
The Love Wall
At the beginning of the Kollegat there is a
wall where, over the past decades, loving
couples – be they engaged or not – have
vowed commitment to their relationship
for eternity. It has however transpired that
a mention on this wall does not always
provide a guarantee for the lastingness
of relationships. Nevertheless, the wall
offers us an important page in Woudsend,
and its inhabitants’ history. The wall is
still popular among young people who
sometimes, very uncomfortably, make
out the names of their parents on the wall.