De Naald, Heemstede

De Naald (the Needle) is a monument in Heemstede, Netherlands, erected in 1817 by the city council to commemorate two battles on the Manpad road running next to the site.

nl:David Jacob van Lennep (classicus), who lived in the 'Huis te Manpad' behind the monument, was a Dutch poet and professor of classical languages in Amsterdam.

[1] The Manpad was a generic name for the North-South route along the Dune ridge running from The Hague to Alkmaar.

This particular stretch of Manpad actually runs East-West, crossing the Leidsevaart from one sand ridge to another.

To the right of the Herenweg the Manpad continues east through what is now Groenendaal park towards the old center of Heemstede and the Haarlem lake (Haarlemmermeer).