Ingelmunster Castle Park

Enclosed castle, in its current form largely dating back to the first half of the 18th century, with surrounding park, located between the Mandel - which fed the ramparts - and the church, on which the castle was traditionally oriented (see engraving in A. Sanderus, 1641 and Landboek 1736). Access to the park to the west via the castle gate with concierge on the Stationsstraat, in 1969 simplified rebuilt in the back as a simple brick volume under a slate mansard roof. Entrance gates between pillars of sintered brick, north of Markt out of use.
The so-called "Castle Farm" to the east of the church was demolished in the early 1980s to make way for the new town hall (1982-1984); In 1987 the barn and dovecote were transferred to the open-air museum of Bokrijk.
History
882: an English (?) monastery from the 7th century on the site of the present castle, is plundered and set on fire by the Normans.
1071-1093: Count Robert the Frisian builds a moated castle on the ruins of the monastery. This location was chosen because of its strategic location at the intersection of the Mandel and the Kortrijk-Bruges military road.
In the 13th century, the castle and the surrounding seigneuries were owned by the Rodhes family. 1297: the French king promises to spare the Bruges aldermen in the castle of Ingelmunster - also called the "Key of Flanders" - the relic of the Holy Blood.
In the second half of the 14th century, the then lord, John VII of Gistel, is said to have rebuilt the castle and enriched it with a carillon.
In 1580, the moated castle suffered heavily from the so-called "Battle of Ingelmunster".
1583: the Saxon nobleman Otto de Plotho, commander of a mercenary army in the service of the French king, acquires the moated castle and the surrounding seigneuries.
The engraving in A. Sanderus of 1641 shows, as well as figurative maps of 1664 and 1665, a square moated castle with (corner) towers and battlements, and islands in the ramparts. The island to the north is connected to the actual castle by a drawbridge. In 1644 repairs were carried out on this bridge, according to an account book. The islet to the east - without a clear function on the latter engraving and maps - is still preserved today.
From the second half of the 17th century, the barons de Plotho - acquired the title of baron in 1643 - gradually converted the castle into a "pleasure castle". The reconstruction of 1657-1697 under Delphin de Plotho was destroyed by cannon fire in 1695 (Nine Years' War between France and Spain, 1688-1697). The Land Book of 1720 (copy of 1792) still shows a moated castle.
In the second half of the 18th century, under the builder Gebhard Franciscus de Plotho, lord of Ingelmunster in 1709-1755, the castle was gradually resurrected under French influence as a classicist-inspired U-shaped building with a state square, on two thirds of the cellars on a square plan and within the walls of the former moated castle. The cellars may be vaulted on this occasion. The earlier brick beginnings of the southern and eastern canal façade and the beginnings of cantilevered semicircular towers (see engraving in A. Sanderus, 1641) have been preserved. The terrace in front of the east wing includes the base of a corner and stair tower of the moated castle.
1. Circa 1727-1729 (first phase of construction): construction of the side wings with long gables of originally seven bays and short facades of two bays.
A contract of 1727 with Jean Baptiste Dumoulin, Tournai's master mason, stipulates the demolition of part (?) of the old castle and its reconstruction "conformement à l'Elle droit", under the direction of the Tournai architect Pien (?). A court document from 1729 states that in 1728 carpenters from Kortrijk and Ingelmunster "have aenghenomen van te maeken generaelyck alle het temmerwerck consisterende ende dependerende aen de twee vleughels de gonne nieuwelynkx syn begin to build up within the Casteel of the selve Inghelm(un)stre beneffens de twee schoone, groote trappen te maeken in de vestibullen van de selve vleughels...".
2. Circa 1735-1736 (second phase of construction): the main or south wing (so-called "corps de logis") of seven bays is built in between the side wings under the direction of master builder Brother Bartholomew, possibly not in the originally planned location, see the structure of the trusses and the articulation of the short moat facades of the side wings. Inscription "a(nn)o 1736" in the entablature, pediment with coat of arms of the de Plotho family. The Land Book of 1736 already depicts a finished U-shaped castle under a mansard roof; However, the mezzanino and pediment are not depicted. According to the so-called "declaration of the arduyn nodich tot de cordelogie (sic) van 't Casteel Ingelm(unst)re" of 1735, Jan de Jaeghere, a master stonemason from Ghent, was the supplier for the façade of the courtyard. It also mentions the baroque consoles of "white Ryssels stone" to which the mezzanino and the pediment connect.
In the second half of the 18th century, Charles de Plotho, lord of Ingelmunster from 1767 to 1825, built the stone arched bridge leading to the Staatsieplein and equipped with baluster railings and rococo vases.
During the French period, the lord of Ingelmunster emigrated; At the public auction of part of the contents of the castle, stooges act for him.
1806-1806: renewal of the woodwork, the current woodwork may - in terms of pattern - largely go back to that period.
1825: the French nobleman C.A.C. Descantons de Montblanc inherits the castle and grounds.
Between 1835 and 1845 (see land registry data, third phase of construction), the side wings were extended with corner pavilions of two bays. Possibly in the same period, on the canal side of the east wing. which, according to a drawing by S. Vermote (1813), was originally blind except for three vertical window registers - windows were made in all bays; Some of them are blind with window imitation. Possibly interior changes as well.
Second half of the 19th century: furnishing of a neo-Gothic chapel in the east wing. At the base of the northeast corner tower, neo-Gothic pointed arch windows were added.
1914: the headquarters of the so-called Northern armies is established in the castle, in 1917 the Germans force the lords of the castle to leave their homes.
1986: the contents of the castle are sold publicly by the Antwerp sales hall Leys, but the sale of the grisailles in the rococo salons is foiled. Countess de Montblanc sells the castle to the local brewery Van Honsebrouck, which makes publicity use of the castle.
1987: Urgent conservation works, including repair of the bridge and pumping out of the moat.
In 1988, a brewery and castle museum was set up in the cellars, using wax figures. In 2000, the first floor of the museum circuit was also included, including scenes from the Second World War.
Description
Sober U-shaped basement building; on the Staatsieplein side, two storeys with mezzanine, on the canal side on the basement; wolfed slate mansard roofs and wooden dormers with pediments. Brick construction with the use of bluestone for plinth, cordon mouldings, window frames and corner blocks. The three construction phases are clearly distinguishable: see a difference in colour of the brick and slight differences in style.
Main wing with double house elevation on the cobbled official square, accessible via the mentioned arched bridge. Horizontal façade articulation by means of bluestone plinth (basement windows), extended leak thresholds, entablature with bluestone architrave above which mezzanine with wooden cornice, centrally accentuated by ornate classicist pediment of three bays with floral motifs and coat of arms of the de Plotho family. In the first and second storeys, arched windows in a belted frame with ears, noses and drip moulding; in the mezzanine, rectangular windows in belted frames. Round-arched porch, originally with checkered pilasters (still present) and cornice (see preserved model of 1735); possibly only in the first half of the 19th century enriched with a portico with Tuscan columns and pediment. Accentuation of the main wing by the small rod division of the windows of the first storey and the mezzanine.
Similar articulation of the side wings on the official square, but with a pronounced cordon moulding. Articulation of the slightly projecting corner pavilions from the second quarter of the 19th century of darker brick by means of bluestone corner chains, doors and windows with leak sills on consoles; flanking blind oculi in bluestone frame.
The moat façade of the main wing - overlooking an open park - retains the blind facades of the cellars of the former moated castle, including the addition of towers. The arched windows of the first and second storeys are set in a belted frame of plastered brick with ears, noses and bluestone drip moulding; the rectangular of the mezzanino in a flat plastered frame. The central bay is accentuated by a round-arched doorwindow with baluster railing in a profiled frame with a floral motif in the twists (strong resemblance to preserved portal model), surmounted by a curved pediment on Baroque consoles with acanthus leaf motif.
In the narrow southern and long western moat facades of the side wings, the heavy cordon mouldings of the official square are repeated. The arched wall openings are set in a checkered bluestone frame. The narrow south façades, which flank the canal façade of the main volume, are finished with bluestone 'corner' pilasters. Similar finish to the first two bays of the moat façade of the original west wing. The less visible moat façade of the east wing preserves even older towers from the beginnings of the 18th century and is very soberly conceived: rhythm by means of windows, partly blind with imitation of windows; The three original window registers are distinguished by the checkered frame.
Preserved woodwork from the first half of the 19th century: wing door and windows with large rod division, small rod division in the second storey and the mezzanino of the main wing on the official square. Former persiennes are now gone.
Interior. The rather sober exterior with its altogether fairly homogeneous appearance contrasts with the more refined interior in which successive styles are featured. In the main wing, the central vestibule in simple Empire style is typified by wall openings in a modified round-arched frame, linked grooved pilasters and toothed panelling. Wall and ceiling paintings with floral motifs respectively above the interior doors and around the chandelier. To the left of the vestibule, staircase with wooden landing staircase over the three floors and access to the basement.
On the ground floor of the main and west wings: rococo-tinted salons with wooden panelling, marble fireplaces so-called 'rouge royale', stucco above mirrors depicting the symbols of hunting, grisailles according to literature designed by A. de Witt, door pieces depicting putti at play, parquet flooring. Curious, elliptical corner salon to the south-west; Grooved wooden columns with Ionic capitals.
Corner pavilion from the second quarter of the 19th century of the west wing with late classical coffered ceiling; separation between the 19th-century and 18th-century bays by means of a wide three-part round-arched arcade; marble staircase to the upper floor from the first round arch. Handle consisting of rope with tassels held by medallions with lion's head.
On the ground floor of the east wing, smaller living spaces, murals with floral motifs in the round-arched fields of the doors, service staircase as a winding staircase. Neo-Gothic chapel; Stucco cross rib vault with hanging keystone.
On the upper floor, on the side of the official square, the corridor is rhythmed by means of round-arched arches and oculi above the room doors. Richly elaborated rococo or classicist-tinted salons and bedrooms, the latter with alcoves. Central hemisphere saloon (main wing) in empire style with boudoirs behind. Repetition of the elliptical south-west corner salon, the grisailles, the door pieces, the marble fireplaces, etc. In the mezzanino, staff rooms; Central room with alcove, possibly for butler.
The well-lit cellars of the west and east wings are widely covered by Bohemian roofs. This is where the preserved staff kitchen is housed; also a small brewery and castle museum, and cafeteria; Remarkable - deplastered - conical vault at the base of the eastern corner tower. The vaulting of the cellar under the main or south wing, possibly dating back to the 16th or 17th century, rests on heavy bluestone column(s) and against the interior walls on pilasters with moulded capitals; 18th-century plastering of the vaults.
Heavily overgrown park landscaping from the first half of the 19th century with mainly beech, horse chestnut, lime and to a lesser extent oak; Remains of feeding channel in front of the shore. Between caretaker's house and castle, three majestic plane trees and recent sculptures by Lyn Chadwick (England). In the north-east side of the park, the remainder of the garden wall with basket-arched gate (see castle farm) and the west-east facing old beech avenue leading to a memorial chapel for Our Lady of Fatima, said to date from 1948. The park section over the Mandel converged to a bluestone pole (see cadastral atlas of 1847 of the de Montblanc family), now on the canal bank see the straightening of the bend in the canal in 1956-1960 and 1973-1974. Remains of metal 19th-century arch bridge over the Mandel, accentuated by yews.

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