Avenue de la Houlette – Herdersstaflaan

Can you imagine a time before cars, when the Avenue de la Houlette echoed with the bleating of sheep? This street, also known as Herdersstaflaan in Dutch, meaning “Shepherd’s Staff Lane,” stretches 350 meters. Avenue de la Houlette connects Rue des Scabieuses and Rue des Pêcheries. It lies in the Pêcheries district, straddling the municipalities of Auderghem and Watermael-Boitsfort. This seemingly ordinary avenue holds a fascinating history, stretching back to a time long before its modern apartment buildings. In 1659, the path that would become Avenue de la Houlette appeared on the Van Werden map. It began near Hof te Schoonenberch at the end of the current Chaussée de Watermael. This path led farmers to the Neermeulen, later known as the Papiermolen or “Paper Mill.” By 1843, the Atlas des Communications Vicinales officially recognized the road. They listed it as number 24, calling it Papiermolenstraet, or “Paper Mill Street.” At that time, the street was much longer. It spanned 1,805 meters, encompassing what is now Rue de la Houlette, Pré des Agneaux, Place Édouard Pinoy, and Avenue Théo Vanpé. Beyond the Woluwe River, it reached what is now Avenue des Frères Goemaere. The construction of Boulevard du Souverain first interrupted the lengthy Papiermolenstraet. This division led to the separated portion being renamed Rue de la Brebis or “Sheep Street.” Later, to avoid duplicate street names in Brussels, Rue de la Brebis became Rue de la Houlette or “Shepherd’s Crook Street.” Further changes came with the development of Place Pinoy, which again divided the street. This division gave birth to Avenue Théo Vanpé. The remaining section of Rue de la Houlette was upgraded to an avenue, becoming Avenue de la Houlette. The avenue was further shortened to establish Pré des Agneaux, or “Lamb Meadow.” Today, Avenue de la Houlette marks the boundary between Auderghem and Watermael-Boitsfort, from Pré des Agneaux to Avenue Demey. Interestingly, the Watermael-Boitsfort side still retains the original name, Rue de la Houlette. This avenue is not just a street; it’s a living testament to the area’s agricultural past. Social housing projects at numbers 93-95 and 97-103 now stand along Avenue de la Houlette. This juxtaposition of modern housing with a history rooted in farmland reflects the ever-evolving story of this unique avenue.