Bokhoven Castle

Bokhoven Castle, locally known as Kasteel Bokhoven, lies in the village of Bokhoven, in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands.

When Bokhoven Castle was first built is unknown. It was first mentioned in 1392 when Jan Oem van Arckel founded a chapel at the castle. Archaeological excavations show that the oldest castle consisted of a 5 by 5 meters square keep with 1 till 1.4 meter thick walls, a great hall with a walled courtyard and a well. It was situated on a slightly elevated terrain and circled by a moat, which stood dry during summer.

In 1498 the castle was destroyed by the troops of Karel van Gelre but rebuilt with exception of the keep. It are the remains of this second castle that we see today. In 1499 the manor was elevated to a barony and in 1640 to a county.

In 1672 the castle was blown up by the French. Only the gate tower and the residential wing survived. It was probably restored because in 1794 it was described as a beautiful mansion. In 1794 and 1795 the castle was occupied by the French. When they left they tore down the walls. The high water level of the nearby river Meuse did the rest, so remaining wall fragments had to be demolished.

When the owners, who had fled to England, returned, they built a new small house on the foundations of the old keep of the first castle. This is the white, chapel-like, building with the brick stairtower next to the castle terrain. This house is called La Licorne.

In 1810 only a small gate tower, two towers and part of the curtain wall remained of the castle. Later this gate tower and one of the towers disappeared as a result of neglect or demolition. The remaining wall and tower fragments were consolidated in 1974. At the same time a private house was built on the castle terrain.

The castle terrain is private property and therefore not accessible.

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