Castle of Herzele

About

The castle of Herzele is a ruin of a water castle in the eastern Flemish municipality of Herzele. The water castle was the residence of the lords of Herzele and has been a protected monument since 1957. Restoration works followed in 1972.

Donjon: Little data are available on the donjon. The square tower has an inside of six meters and walls with a thickness of 3,20 meters to 3,40 meters. There are still four steps to the basement floor. From the donjon only the heavy substructure was preserved. In the heavy walls of the donjon you can see the recesses for latrines. The Donjon probably consisted of a basement and floors. As a rule, it contains a reception area on the ground floor and living and sleeping rooms on the upper floors. In 1592 the donjon collapsed. He was no longer rebuilt because the military strategy has changed.

Geometric ground plan: In the 13th-14th century, castles began to be built with geometric ground plans. This is the case in Herzele. This includes the gate building, the (still standing) circular tower with attached staircase tower, the donjon, the kitchen, the knight's room and utilities...