Hof ter Saksen

Hof ter Saksen is a historic castle-and-park estate located southwest of the center of Beveren, in the Waasland region of Belgium. The grounds cover roughly 10 hectares of parkland containing the castle itself, an orangery, and former farm buildings, surrounded by an additional buffer of about 25 hectares of agricultural land. Today the estate belongs to the municipality of Beveren and functions as a public green space open to visitors.

Where does the name come from?

The earliest references to this site go back to the early Middle Ages. The estate was originally known as "het Schaak," a name that gradually shifted through "het goed Schaeckx" and "Saeckx" before settling into its current form, "Saksen." The first recorded owner was lady Margareta Noethaeckx, under whose family the property served as both an inn for travelers and a working farm.

How did ownership change over time?

The story of Hof ter Saksen is largely a story of the noble and merchant families who successively held the estate. Between 1415 and 1439 it passed to an illegitimate branch of the Vijd family. In 1448, Jan Vijd gave the estate to his son Adriaan on the occasion of his marriage to Jozijne van de Voorde — a common way of transferring land as part of a dowry or wedding gift in that era.

A significant shift came in 1594, when Gregorio Del Plano acquired the property. The Del Plano family held onto it for four generations, an unusually long stretch of stable ownership for the time. A later descendant eventually sold the estate to Pieter-Franciscus Piers, who was then serving as mayor of Beveren, illustrating how owning such a residence was closely tied to local prestige and civic power. In 1699, Piers in turn transferred the estate to Matthias van der Burcht.

What gave the estate its current shape?

The layout of the park and buildings as seen today is largely owed to Jean-Baptist Versmessen, chief bailiff of the Land of Waas, who redesigned the whole estate in 1781. It is from this period that the characteristic park composition dates — one that ties together the castle, the orangery, and the working farmland into a coherent whole, an arrangement that has largely survived to the present day.

How did the estate survive the 20th century?

The Second World War left a clear mark on Hof ter Saksen: the castle suffered serious damage at the hands of the German occupying forces. Reconstruction had to wait decades. It was only in 2004 that a thorough restoration was carried out, making the building's exterior fully wind- and water-tight and halting further deterioration of the structure.

Since 1982, the 27-hectare estate has been owned by the municipality of Beveren, which turned the former private noble residence into a publicly accessible recreational area.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hof ter Saksen? It is a historic castle-and-park estate in Beveren, comprising the castle, an orangery, former farm buildings, and an extensive park.

How old is the estate? The earliest mentions date back to the early Middle Ages, though the park's current layout dates from 1781.

Who manages the site today? Since 1982 it has been owned by the municipality of Beveren, which opens the grounds to the public as a park.

Was the castle damaged during the war? Yes, it was seriously damaged by German occupying forces during the Second World War, and a thorough restoration was only carried out in 2004.