The Drowned Land of Saeftinghe

The account

Saeftinghe was once the wealthiest land in Zeeland, fat polder, peat, and trade, until the All Saints' flood of 1570 breached it and soldiers cut the last dike in 1584, letting the Scheldt swallow it for good. The legend says a drowned church bell still tolls under the mud. What's left is three and a half thousand hectares of creek and salt marsh, walked only with a guide who knows where the tide will let you stand.

Leads, where the trail points now

• Pin down the most specific last-known position in the record before going; the search centers on Western Scheldt, Zeeland, Netherlands.
• What you are chasing is A rich medieval polder under the largest salt marsh in the Netherlands. Work the documented record of The Drowned Land of Saeftinghe back to primary sources and separate what is attested from folklore.
• Nature reserve, entry by guided walk only; the tides and mud are genuinely dangerous alone.