Letmaet Courtyard

Like most courtyards, the Hofje van Letmaet was a charitable institution. Gouda has had 25 such courtyards. The oldest known courtyard dates back to 1449, and the last one to 1887. Usually, the courtyard’s small houses are simple, consisting of just a single room with a box bed. The gatehouse was allowed to be slightly more luxurious, as were the houses next to the gate. A fine example of this is the Hofje van Letmaet on Nieuwehaven.