Castle ter Elst

Kasteel ter Elst is a castle located in the municipality of Duffel. It is one of the oldest buildings in the province of Antwerp. A ruin is all that remains of this castle.
So far known, the oldest reference to Castle ter Elst can be found in a source written in the 12th century. At that time, the castle was owned by the Hildincshusen brothers. From 1356 until the French Revolution in 1789, the castle was owned by the Abbey of Tongerlo and was inhabited by the steward. It was also used as a residence for people of nobility. In 1584 the castle burned down and was rebuilt. A century later, around the end of the 16th century, it was a presbytery. According to 17th- and 18th-century drawings, Kasteel ter Elst was an extensive building, surrounded by moats and gardens. In 1799 the castle was sold to Louis Hermans who had three of the four main buildings of the complex demolished and the wing part with the towers restored. Brickyard Ter Elst was founded near the castle in 1879 by C. Funcke. During the First World War, the castle suffered heavy damage, and partly because of the competition from the Kempische brick kilns, the castle became a ruin.

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