The Hamel

Kasteel Het Hamel - Burggrachtstraat 20 - Stichting Museum Moffarts, tel. 013 33 80 36,
fax 013 67 44 07, [email protected], www.stichting-demoffarts.be.

The Hamel is very old. In texts from the 16th century, there was already mention of this estate dating back to the 14th century. As early as the 17th century, there were buildings. In the 18th century, the family de Zerezo de Tejada built a Norman-style farm here. When a real castle was built by the senator Eugène Van Willigen in the second half of the 19th century, the farm was partly transformed into a coach house (front). An authentic English park will be created around the castle, complete with pond, ice cellar and a valuable collection of exotic park trees. When the castle of Van Willigen was demolished after World War II, the front of the farm was converted by Baron André de Moffarts into the current castle, which was in fact more of a country house. The park's collection of trees and shrubs was further expanded during that time. He was assisted by the park gardener, Leopold Hermans, who, after being felled by a stroke in the park, is commemorated with a beautiful cenotaph. In addition to the beautiful landscaping and typical small landscape elements that the park has to offer, the extremely rare tonic tree or Sassafras, the old bald cypresses with gnarled aerial roots in the water and the monumental Fern Beech with a diameter of more than 4 m.

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