Horn Castle (Holland)

Horn Castle, locally known as Kasteel Horn, is located near the village of the same name in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands.

Horn Castle is a type of castle of late motte, built near a previous bed of the river Maas. The name Horn appears already in the 12th century, but the castle itself is certainly not older than the first quarter of the 13th century. The plan of Horn's castle shows an irregular oval with 4 protruding round towers and a square gate tower, also protruding. The ringwall had a wall to walk on round arches. In the 13th century this ringwall was raised with a marl railing with a second walking wall, built over the original ringwall. At the same time, almost all towers and lodgings were erected.

Probably in the fifteenth century there was a great reconstruction in the castle of Horn. The lodgings were prolonged, which made the two southern towers disappear. Also the gate tower was added to the lodgings and a new gate was built next to it. This is now the current gate. Also in the fifteenth century the Lords of Corno were proclaimed accounts.

In the 16th century the castle was owned by the Montmorency family. And in 1568 its owner, Philips de Montmorency, who was a follower of William the Silent, was beheaded in Brussels.

After the French era, which saw the destruction of a huge number of Dutch castles by French invaders, Horn Castle was nothing but a ruin. But around 1850 the castle was again made suitable for housing. Unfortunately, most of the lower arches were then opened and the lodgings were equipped with neogothic doors and windows. In 1954 the castle underwent a restoration after it was damaged by a fire in 1948.

A large castle but privately owned and therefore not accessible.