Heemhundig Museum 't Sireentje

Blauwendael Castle, formerly also known as Blauwhof Castle. Site formed by the castle "Blauwendael" with park protected as village view, castle and outbuilding are protected as monument by MB of 16.07.1987. The current castle (1889-1890) in eclectic style is located in the middle of an older domain that belonged to the noble family de Neve de Roden from its inception. Pieter de Neve, stadtholder and high bailiff of the Land van Waas, who was housed with his wife and children on the Kerkstraat, had a mansion with moat built in the back in 1607-1608 on land that extended to the Gentstraat. Initially called "het Huys int midden van't Durp", it was named "'t Hof van Blauwendael" in the second half of the 17th century. Sketches of the evolved noble residence are known from 1610, 1668 and around 1700. They illustrate that the mansion included a landscaped garden, forecourt, orchard and outbuildings. Under Baron Henri Philips de Neve, works were undertaken around 1820 to adapt the estate to the taste of the time; A number of constructions were demolished and perhaps new ones such as the Orangery were erected. Knight Emile de Neve de Roden and his wife Emma de Bueren had the old Hof Blauwendael demolished and a new castle built there (1889-1890) designed by architect Jozef De Waele (Ghent) and executed together with contractor Charles Mortier (Ledeberg). At the end of 1940 the domain was sold to Henri de Lovinfosse (owner of the Manta factory). The municipality of Waasmunster purchased Blauwendael in 1980; In 1981, the castle park was opened to the public as a walking park. Since 1984, the castle itself has been given several new uses: ground floor partly reserved as a reception and wedding hall of the municipality and a caretaker's house, exhibition space on the first upper floor, Waasmunster's local museum housed on the second upper floor and attic. Castle on more or less rectangular floor plan with south facing façade built a little west of where the former mansion stood. Two high storeys on a basement with basement and covered under a steeply truncated hipped roof with various skylights and dormers placed on three levels. Baking and natural stone construction in which the use of bacon layers, corner chains, cross and spherical frames in some of the framed windows with neggen, checkered relief arches and stepped gables are characteristic borrowings from traditional baking and sandstone construction. Façade consisting of two strikingly protruding stepped gables that flank the entrance. This is preceded by a wide landing with balustrade and access stairs to the central entrance on the elevated ground floor. Several specific details and other building elements enhance the picturesque character of the castle: verticalizing elements such as the use of over-angled pinnacles in the stepped gables, high fireplaces with well-kept brickwork, the slender round corner tower on the east side and an octagonal with higher ascending constricted spire on the northwest corner, both with a wrought iron crown. The right corner risalite shows on the façade side two memorial stones with sculpted family coats of arms, the first of the Neve de Roden with year 1607, the second of the Neve de Roden – de Bueren with year 1890; on the east side a two-part memorial stone with inscriptions: "Erectum anno 1607" and "Refectum anno 1890": referring to the year and lord of the first house on the domain and of the current castle. On the northeast corner: small extension with roof terrace as an extension of the caretaker's house in modified construction style added shortly after the Second World War. The public areas, especially on the raised ground floor, retain rich elements of the original interior decoration in various neo-styles. The spacious entrance has a striking fireplace in neo-Flemish-Renaissance style (black and white marble fireplace legs and a bosom with wooden cladding under cove frame), ceiling on composite beams, double panel doors, brown-red square tiled floor with alternating white pattern with lily motif continuous in the adjacent staircase. The salon in the left front room is also elaborated in neo-Flemish Renaissance style, fireplace walls covered with traditional blue so-called Delft tiles. Wedding hall in two adjoining back rooms with an open partition: one room with neoclassical ornamentation, the other with a mantelpiece in neo-Flemish-Renaissance style. The associated public castle park between Kerkstraat (east) and Gentstraat (north) of 4 to 4.5 hectares is said to have been laid out around 1820-1830 according to the landscape English garden style. Park with walking paths, ornamental lawns, ponds, varied trees including a number of valuable 150 to 200-year-old specimens (including weeping beech, brown beech, oak, maples, horse chestnuts).

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