Did you know that Avenue Près des Agneaux Lammerendrieslaan was once a sheep pasture? This charming street in Auderghem and Watermael-Boitsfort holds centuries of history. Before us lies a seemingly ordinary avenue but its story is far from ordinary. Avenue Près des Agneaux Lammerendrieslaan boasts a history stretching back to 1659. The earliest maps show a path leading from Hof te Schoonenberch towards a mill. This wasn’t just any mill. It was the Neermeulen later known as the Papiermolen or Paper Mill. Farmers used this path to reach the mill. Their journey along Avenue Près des Agneaux Lammerendrieslaan connected them to this vital part of the community.
The Atlas des Communications Vicinales from 1843 lists this path as number 24. The name was then Papiermolenstraet or Paper Mill Street. It extended much further than our present avenue. It included Rue de la Houlette and even reached Avenue des Frères Goemaere. It’s quite fascinating to imagine the longer route stretching across the landscape. The development of Boulevard du Souverain interrupted the path. This led to the renaming of a section as Rue de la Brebis or Sheep Street. Then to eliminate duplicates in Brussels it changed to Rue de la Houlette.
Later the creation of Place Pinoy further divided the road. It resulted in the formation of Avenue Théo Vanpé. What remained of Rue de la Houlette was upgraded to an avenue. However this wasn’t the final change. In 1977 a further reduction occurred. It resulted in the naming of the section between Place Pinoy and Rue des Scabieuses. It acquired its current name. The Flemish name Lammerendries hints at its past. Lammeren means lambs and dries means meadow. So it was a lamb meadow.
The name reflects the agricultural past of the area. Imagine flocks of sheep grazing peacefully where cars now drive. Avenue Près des Agneaux Lammerendrieslaan’s journey shows urban development’s impact. The name retains a memory of its origins. It represents a connection to the land’s history. The first building permit was issued in 1950 for number 37. This marks a transition point. It demonstrates the area’s slow transformation from rural landscape to modern residential area. This quiet street holds memories of farmers sheep and evolving Brussels. Avenue Près des Agneaux Lammerendrieslaan has seen it all. It offers a glimpse into Brussels’ rich and layered past. It is a testament to the city’s evolving identity.