Banhoutbos

The Banhoutbos (25 ha) is privately owned and is said to be one of the oldest forest relics in West Flanders.
The name of the forest is a corruption of "Bannelingenbos", a name that indicated that wood thieves and poachers were locked up in the forester's house.
In the 18th century the forest was largely cleared and beech trees were planted and in the 19th century the forest was partially transformed into a castle park. From 1820, tree cuttings from other castle parks were brought to the Banhoutbos. To the left and right of the castle, red beech trees were planted in a circular shape. In that period the planting of exotic trees such as the giant sequoia was very popular and in that period (2nd half of the 19th century) we can situate the planting of the giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) on the lawn in front of the castle. The neoclassical castle dates from 1854.
The main forest roads were provided with drift planting. During the First World War, the forest was almost completely cleared by the German occupiers, who used the wood as a front material.

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