Meerbeek Castle (Melsbroek)

En un regard

Le château en bref

The Meerbeek estate, in Melsbroek (Steenokkerzeel), takes its name from Pieter van Meerbeke, a councillor of the Chamber of Accounts of Brussels, who in 1451 became the owner of the Groot Hof, a large farm facing the village church. The property, initially a mere dependency of this Groot Hof, passed in the sixteenth century to the de Locquenghien family, then was bought in 1656 by Laurentio Willemijns, whence the name Willemynshof. Martin Robyns acquired it in 1713; the Powis family inherited it in the nineteenth century, Chevalier Louis Powis purchasing in 1845 a holding of 58 hectares. The estate then passed to the Snoy family. Set on fire by German troops in 1944, the castle was never rebuilt; since 1987 the estate has been home to a golf course.