Polanen Castle

About

Polanen Castle was a castle located in today's Monster, South Holland in the Netherlands. The ancestral home of the Polanen family, it suffered a siege in 1351 and was demolished in 1394. It was replaced by a small manor somewhat to the south.

Polanen Castle was located on an island, or inner bailey of 42 by 29 m. The island was surrounded by a 12 m wide moat. On the northeast corner was a tower house or donjon built c. 1300. It measured 11.60 by 11.30 m, and on the inside 7.60 by 7.10 m, making the wall about 2 m thick at the foundation level. At the top the walls were still 1.30 m thick. It was at least 12 m high. The bricks used measured 29-30 * 13-14 * 5–7 cm.

In the 1320s other structures were added to the castle. On the northeast corner of the terrain a small stair tower was added. Its northwest corner was adjacent to the east corner of the tower house. It was identified as a stair tower with privy due to it being open on the water front at floor level. The top of the stair was later found back in the northern moat. The tower had two funnels on the side of the moat. Here its wall was only half a stone (c. 15 cm) thick. On the outside, the surface of the walls of the stair tower had been smoothened and painted red.

The entrance of the tower house was probably on the west side, because two foundation pieces poeren were found near that side. The kitchen and store rooms were in the cool northwest corner of the tower.

South of the tower house was a building of unknown characteristics. Its presence was deduced from debris in the moat. On the northwest corner of the bailey was another building. Part of its northern wall of 75 cm thick was found on the bottom of the moat. Some heavy piles in the moat before this building indicate that the bridge over the moat was located here.

What sets Polanen Castle apart from other solitary tower houses is that it was built on a large site. Most other solitary towers were located on a small island without room for other buildings. It therefore seems that Polanen was all along planned to be expanded, but that this plan was cut short by its demolishment in 1394.

South of the bailey was another terrain of 21 by 21 m. The oldest artefacts found on this terrain dated from 1400, making it the probably location of the manor which succeeded to Polanen Castle after it was finally demolished in 1393. This manor consisted of two perpendicular buildings with a small tower, which only had a representative purpose.

This island had a moat of only 9 m wide. The manor gradually got the character of a farm in the fifteenth century. For agricultural purposes, the island was expanded by moving the southeast moat further outwards. In about 1700 the manor was replaced by a regular farm.

Polanen Castle was located on an island, or inner bailey of 42 by 29 m. The island was surrounded by a 12 m wide moat. On the northeast corner was a tower house or donjon built c. 1300. It measured 11.60 by 11.30 m, and on the inside 7.60 by 7.10 m, making the wall about 2 m thick at the foundation level. At the top the walls were still 1.30 m thick. It was at least 12 m high. The bricks used measured 29-30 * 13-14 * 5–7 cm.

In the 1320s other structures were added to the castle. On the northeast corner of the terrain a small stair tower was added. Its northwest corner was adjacent to the east corner of the tower house. It was identified as a stair tower with privy due to it being open on the water front at floor level. The top of the stair was later found back in the northern moat. The tower had two funnels on the side of the moat. Here its wall was only half a stone (c. 15 cm) thick. On the outside, the surface of the walls of the stair tower had been smoothened and painted red.

The entrance of the tower house was probably on the west side, because two foundation pieces poeren were found near that side. The kitchen and store rooms were in the cool northwest corner of the tower.

South of the tower house was a building of unknown characteristics. Its presence was deduced from debris in the moat. On the northwest corner of the bailey was another building. Part of its northern wall of 75 cm thick was found on the bottom of the moat. Some heavy piles in the moat before this building indicate that the bridge over the moat was located here.

What sets Polanen Castle apart from other solitary tower houses is that it was built on a large site. Most other solitary towers were located on a small island without room for other buildings. It therefore seems that Polanen was all along planned to be expanded, but that this plan was cut short by its demolishment in 1394.

South of the bailey was another terrain of 21 by 21 m. The oldest artefacts found on this terrain dated from 1400, making it the probably location of the manor which succeeded to Polanen Castle after it was finally demolished in 1393. This manor consisted of two perpendicular buildings with a small tower, which only had a representative purpose.

This island had a moat of only 9 m wide. The manor gradually got the character of a farm in the fifteenth century. For agricultural purposes, the island was expanded by moving the southeast moat further outwards. In about 1700 the manor was replaced by a regular farm.

On 6 November 1295 Floris V, Count of Holland granted the fief Polanen 'with the house' to Philips van Duvenvoorde. He was a junior member of the Van Duvenvoorde family, which was seated at Duivenvoorde Castle.

Philip's son John (c. 1285–1342) and Philip's natural son Willem van Duvenvoorde would become very successful. John acquired many possessions and fiefs near Monster. John was helped by his uncle Diederik van der Wale, who e.g. gifted the very profitable wind mill at Voswijk near Monster. Already in 1305 John was referred to as 'Van Polanen'. Both John of Polanen and Willem van Duvenvoorde became counselor of count Willem III in about 1316.

The reason that Polanen Castle remained a tower house, and did not develop into a new castle, was the dazzling career of the brothers. On 5 August 1320 John got granted Nieuwendoorn Castle near Krabbendam, which was a full castle. In 1327 John got Oud Haerlem Castle, which would become a castle that matched his new stature. In 1342 John II, Lord of Polanen succeeded his father.

In 1345 Philips I, Lord of Polanen was granted Polanen Castle in subfief by his older brother John II. The act mentioned an: Die huysinghe tot Pollanen, beyde boven ende beneden, ende met den heemwerf daer sij op staet ende met den ouden hove binnen de uyterste grafte. (The house at Polanen, upper and lower, and the terrain on which it stands, including the old court inside the outer moat.).

During the Hook and Cod wars the Van Polanen family belonged to the Hook alliance, which supported Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut against her son William V of Holland. The war erupted in earnest after William of Holland entered his county in February 1351. After failed negotiations William seized Dordrecht in about April 1351. He then started his campaign against the castles of the Hook lords. First came a lengthy siege of Rosenburgh Castle near Voorschoten. Next came a short siege of Binckhorst Castle, and then it was time to besiege Polanen Castle.