Cleydael Castle

Cleydael Castle, locally known as Kasteel Cleydael, lies west of the town of Aartselaar, in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish region in Belgium.

Cleydael Castle likely already existed in 1259 when it was owned by the Sanders van Hemessen family. It was first mentioned in 1372, when it was owned by Geeraert van der Elst. Ownership of the castle was disputed between the Sanders and Van der Elst families, and in the 15th century, the Sanders family regained control.

During the 16th century, the castle had several owners who all made alterations to suit their preferences. One of them was Antonio del Rio in 1556, who was the treasurer of seizures appointed by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, and Governor of the Netherlands. In 1576, the castle was besieged and looted by the troops of the States General of the Netherlands, led by Philip de Lalaing. This compelled Del Rio to escape back to Spain. Subsequently, the damaged castle served as a residence for vagabonds until 1592. In 1613, Cleydael Castle was acquired by the Hellemans family, who restored it.

Over the following centuries, a long list of owners followed, until after World War I, when it was purchased by an Antwerp shipowner. He restored the castle in the 1950s.

Cleydael Castle is a square, moated castle featuring one square tower and three round corner towers. The square tower is the oldest part of the castle. It has a rectangular courtyard that was also moated until 1806.

The castle is now private property and serves as an event venue. The lands surrounding the castle are now used by a golf club, with its clubhouse in the courtyard buildings. As a result, the castle is not open for visits. A lovely castle.

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