Woude Castle

Woude Castle, locally known as Huis te Woude, lies in the town of Ridderkerk, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands.

In the summer of 1371 Willem van den Woude started the construction of a fortified house with a surrounding moat in the Riederwaardpolder. At the eastern half, a tall keep consisting of 3 floors was planned, but only one floor was realized. The living quarters at the western half were only ground level.

Due to floods in 1373 and 1375, the whole area around Ridderkerk drowned and the Riederwaardpolder was lost. When Hugo Willemsz van den Woude, who had succeeded his father in 1373, died in around 1399, the land with the remains of the castle were still lying in the water. After his death the family van den Woude lost possession of the castle but the family name stuck.

At the beginning of the 15th century people started to restore some parts of the Riederwaard Polder, but not the area in which the castle was situated. In 1418 they started to repair and heighten the walls, in advance of restoring the polder area in which the castle lay. But in the same year, during the Hook and Cod Wars, the troops of the Hooks pulled down the walls to prevent usage by their enemy; the Cods.

Then, in 1421 the flood of Saint-Elizabeth came which covered the remains of the castle with a thick layer of silt. In 1441 the Riederwaard Polder was restored but the castle was never finished.

In 1968 Woude castle was "discovered" again after studying a map made in 1570, which showed the position of the castle. From 1969 until 1972 excavations were carried out. The moat and walls were partially reconstructed. The original dimensions of the castle are supposed to have been 15 x 20 meters. The exact dimensions are not known because the northern area of the castle is now situated beneath a dike.

This is just a small ruin. It was recently fenced off.

Gallery