Bambrugge is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere

Erpe-Mere

Erpe-Mere is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the towns of Aaigem, Bambrugge, Burst, Erondegem, Erpe, Mere, Ottergem and Vlekkem. There is also a hamlet in Bambrugge: Egem. On January 1, 2010 Erpe-Mere had a total...

 in Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

. It is located in the Denderstreek

Denderstreek

The Denderstreek or Denderland is a region in the heart of Belgium. It is named after the river Dender. Though the river stretches over three provinces, Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, the region called after the river is situated in East-Flanders. The Dutch word streek means region....

 in the southeast of East Flanders

East Flanders

East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...

 and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst

Arrondissement of Aalst

The Arrondissement of Aalst is one of the six administrative arrondissements in the Province of East Flanders, Belgium. It forms the Judicial Arrondissement of Dendermonde together with the Arrondissements of Dendermonde and Sint-Niklaas.-History:...

. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Vlekkem

Vlekkem

Vlekkem is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. The sub-municipality is bordered by the hamlet Egem of the sub-municipality Bambrugge, the sub-municipality Ottergem and the...

, Ottergem

Ottergem

Ottergem is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. The sub-municipality is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Erondegem, Erpe, Mere, Bambrugge and Vlekkem and the municipality...

, Mere

Mere, Belgium

Mere is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Erpe, Ottergem, Bambrugge and Aaigem and the municipalities Haaltert and Aalst...

, Aaigem

Aaigem

Aaigem is a village belonging to the municipality of Erpe-Mere. It is located in the province of East Flanders, Belgium. The village has some 2000 inhabitants. Aaigem was an independent municipality with an area of 7.32 square kilometers till 1976....

 and Burst

Burst (village)

Burst is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Bambrugge and Aaigem and the municipalities of Herzele and Sint-Lievens-Houtem...

 and the municipality of Sint-Lievens-Houtem

Sint-Lievens-Houtem

Sint-Lievens-Houtem is a Dutch-speaking municipality of Belgium. It is located in the in the Denderstreek and at the edge of the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders .It is named after Saint Livinus , a Christian saint believed to have been buried...

 (sub-municipality Zonnegem). Bambrugge has 1575 inhabitants as of 1 January 2003 and has an area of 2.89 km. The population density is 545 inhabitants / km ². Bambrugge has also a hamlet: Egem

Egem (East Flanders)

Egem is a hamlet in the sub-municipality of Bambrugge in the municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek within the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to the Arrondissement of Aalst...

.

History

Bambrugge was part of the village Burst until 1803. A census in 1893 proved that the village had 872 inhabitants. Bambrugge was mentioned several times in the Middle Ages. The name probably derives from the so-called banmolens (banmolen meaning compulsion mill). In these mills serfs were obliged to grind their corn. Another possibility is that the name is derived from the word "baan" (baan meaning way or road) or is a corruption of Banbrugge (Bridge of Banno, with brug meaning bridge).

Domain Steenberg

The Romans knew that there was white natural stone in Steenberg in Bambrugge, called Vlaamse Arduin or Lediaanse Steen. This white natural stone was suitable as a foundation for the masonry of Roman villas and as building material for columns and capitals of the Roman temples. By the 11th or 12th century there was extracted white sandstone in Bambrugge (Steenberg). The common types of white natural stone in Brabant in the 16th to 17 Century were extracted in Steenberg, and extraction continued until after World War II. Today it's the administrative center of Erpe-Mere.


File:Gemeentehuis Erpe-Mere.jpg|The town hall of Erpe-Mere, at Steenberg in Bambrugge
File:Sporthal Erpe-Mere.jpg|The sports hall of Erpe-Mere, at Steenberg in Bambrugge
File:Bibliotheek Erpe-Mere.jpg|The library of Erpe-Mere, at Steenberg in Bambrugge
File:Vijver Steenberg Erpe-Mere.jpg|The pool of Steenberg in Bambrugge

Mills

There are two water mills in Bambrugge, both located on the Molenbeek Brook: the Egemmolen and the Molens Van Sande. The Egemmolen has been largely demolished, but there are still remains of this mill and the mill house intact.


File:Egemmolen Bambrugge Molenhuis.JPG|Mill house of the Egemmolen at Bambrugge
File:Egemmolen Bambrugge overblijfselen.JPG|Remains of the Egemmolen at Bambrugge
File:Molens Van Sande Bambrugge vooraanzicht.JPG|Front view of the Molens Van Sande at Bambrugge
File:Molens Van Sande Bambrugge zijaanzicht.JPG|Side-view of the Molens Van Sande at Bambrugge
File:Molens Van Sande Bambrugge beek.JPG|Place where the mill wheel of the Molens Van Sande once was at Bambrugge

Name(s)	Address	Type	Protected	Info
Egemmolen Meuleken Tik Tak	Everdal 21	Overshot watermill	No	Wheat mill The mill wheel has been removed and the mill largely demolished The mill house is now used as a country cottage
Molens Van Sande Kasteelmolen	Prinsdaal 33	Overshot watermill	No	It was originally a wheat mill and a compulsion mill Later on it was just a wheat mill The mill wheel has been removed It is now an industrial flour mill

Church and chappelles

The Sint-Martinus Church can be found in Bambrugge, with Bambrugge belonging to the deanery of Lede. As of 2011 there are still six chapels and a cave in good condition. Previously, there were at least eight chapels, with the two chapels that were not in the possession of the church having been demolished to make room for a house. The old church bell has been preserved and is located in the presbytery of Bambrugge.


File:Kerk Bambrugge.jpg|The church of Bambrugge
File:Oude kerkklok Bambrugge.jpg|The old church clock of Bambrugge
File:Kapel Bambruggedorp Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Bambruggedorp
File:Kapel Dries Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Dries
File:Kapel Egemstraat Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Egemstraat
File:Kapel Katstraat Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Katstraat
File:Kapel Kwalestraat Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Kwalestraat
File:Kapel Landsheerstraat Bambrugge.jpg|The little chappelle at Landsheerstraat
File:Grot Bambrugge.jpg| The cave of Bambrugge

Events

In the week around the 26 July there is a fair in Bambrugge. Each year, the Steenbergcross (cross-country race) and the Molenrock (rock festival) are held at Steenberg in Bambrugge.

Tourism

Through Bambrugge runs the Molenbeekroute. The Molenbeekroute is a cycle track network, known primarily for the mills of the municipality Erpe-Mere and two brooks that are located there, with both having the name Molenbeek (mill brook).

Sport

The football club KRC Bambrugge plays in Bambrugge, and is active in the first provincial league of the province of East Flanders.