Kasteel d'Overschie

Kasteel d'Overschie is a country-house castle standing in the Rijkenhoek district of Grimbergen, in Flemish Brabant, Belgium. Built in 1904, the residence was designed by architect Octave Flanneau, who is also known for rebuilding the Egmont Palace in Brussels between 1905 and 1906. The building sits along the Steenpoeldreef, on land whose history stretches back far earlier than the current structure.

Where does the site's history begin?

Long before the castle was built, the land belonged to the Norbertine abbey of Grimbergen and was known as Steenpoelen. During the 17th century, Lediaan sandstone was quarried here, and the stone extracted from this ground was used in construction projects of real regional importance, including the abbey church itself and Sint-Romboutskathedraal in Mechelen.

How did ownership of the estate change hands?

The French Revolution brought an abrupt change: the canons lost control of the land, which passed to Victor Bodin. In 1812 the property was purchased by Jean-Baptiste Weemaels, a Brussels resident who lived from 1786 to 1816. His daughter later sold the country house, together with its adjoining tree nursery, to the d'Overschie family — the name that the estate still carries today. Descendants of that family remained connected to the property long after the present castle was erected.

What happened here during the Second World War?

The war years brought disruption to the estate. Baroness Isabelle d'Overschie was forced to leave her home and relocated to the nearby Heilig Hart care and nursing home. German officers from the meteorological unit Wekusta 26 subsequently occupied the castle. After liberation, Norwegian Spitfire squadrons stationed at a nearby airfield — only about two kilometres away — made use of the building, underlining how the estate's location gave it unexpected strategic relevance.

How has the surrounding area changed since then?

In the postwar decades, Grimbergen shifted from a rural village into a residential municipality. Waves of housing development during the 1960s and 1970s gradually enclosed the once-extensive estate, until it became almost completely surrounded by villa neighbourhoods. Today, Kasteel d'Overschie stands as one of the few remaining traces of the area's earlier rural character, offering a visible contrast to the dense residential streets that now surround it.

Why does the architect matter?

Octave Flanneau was active at the turn of the 20th century and left behind several notable commissions in the Brussels region. His work on the Egmont Palace, one of the city's most prominent representative residences, reflects the standing he held among architects of his generation. Designing a private residence for the d'Overschie family placed this commission firmly within the same tradition of refined residential architecture that defined the period.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the castle? The building remains privately owned, so interior access is not generally available — it is best appreciated from the outside while walking through the surrounding neighbourhood.

Where does the name "d'Overschie" come from? It comes from the family that acquired the property from the heirs of Jean-Baptiste Weemaels and whose descendants remained tied to the estate for generations.

Are there any traces of the old sandstone quarry left today? The quarrying of Lediaan sandstone belongs to the past, but the historical name Steenpoelen still recalls this centuries-old activity on the site.

How far is the castle from central Grimbergen? Rijkenhoek lies at some distance from the town centre, though the area is now well connected thanks to the residential development that grew up around the former estate.