Kasteeldomein Hof ter Linden

Kasteeldomein Hof ter Linden is a historic castle-and-park estate in 's-Gravenwezel, a village belonging to the municipality of Schilde in the province of Antwerp, Belgium. The name goes back to a linden tree that once stood on the grounds, under which the village community used to gather for its most important assemblies — it was the Van Buysegem family, early owners of the land, who named the whole estate after that tree.

What stood here before the castle?

The site originally held a working farmstead. In the late 16th century it was raided by Irish mercenary troops and fell into disrepair for a period afterwards. The turning point came in the 17th century, when Peter de Coster the Younger had the old farm buildings torn down and replaced with a hof van plaisantie — a Renaissance-style pleasure residence, the kind wealthy Antwerp burghers built as a countryside retreat away from the city.

Which families owned the estate over the centuries?

Through the 17th and 18th centuries, a country house known as Château Terlinden stood on the property. Ownership passed through several prominent Antwerp families in succession — the Ferment, del Campo, Goubeau and de Meulenaer families each held it for a time. Each left some mark on the estate, though it was the following century that gave it the form still recognizable today.

How did the current castle and park take shape?

In 1808 the property was bought by Charles Van Asten, who ten years later, in 1818, became mayor of 's-Gravenwezel. It was Van Asten who commissioned the present castle building along with the surrounding park, laid out in the then-fashionable English landscape style — with informally arranged greenery, winding paths and ponds, in deliberate contrast to the rigid geometry of French formal gardens.

In 1828 Van Asten sold the estate to Philippe-Arnould Gillès. From that point the property stayed in the hands of the Gillès de Pélichy family continuously until 1986 — nearly a century and a half under a single family's stewardship, which goes a long way toward explaining the good state of preservation of both the building and the surrounding parkland.

Who manages the domain today?

The historic park is now cared for by Kempens Landschap, a nature conservation organisation active across the Kempen region that maintains a number of similar wooded and parkland estates. Its work keeps the grounds open as green public space for residents and visitors alike, while safeguarding the castle's historic architecture.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Hof ter Linden located? The domain sits at Hof ter Linden 57-59 in 's-Gravenwezel, a village within the municipality of Schilde in Belgium's Antwerp province.

Where does the name come from? From a linden tree (Dutch: linde) under which villagers once held their important gatherings — the Van Buysegem family named the whole estate after it.

How long did one family own the estate? The Gillès de Pélichy family held the property from 1828 to 1986 — 158 years.

In what style was the park designed? In the English landscape style, commissioned by Charles Van Asten in the early 19th century.

Who is responsible for the domain today? Kempens Landschap, a nature conservation organisation working across the Kempen region.