Castle Rotsart de Hertaing

Former country estate also known as "De Kuyl", also the name of a nearby neighborhood and inn: the vanished inn "het cuylken" was located on the Hundelgemsesteenweg at a later cut-off and filled-in bend of the Schelde (see map of 1607). Professor K.G. Van Acker identifies the site of "Kasteel Rotsart de Hertaing" with the "Stede Hukkelgem" mentioned in 1396, and whose name indicates a settlement of Frankish origin. The former Hukkelgemstraat (now the beginning of Gaversesteenweg) led from the Schelde to the estate. Initially a farmhouse probably evolved in the Middle Ages into a site consisting of a separately moated upper courtyard and lower courtyard. Former country estate mentioned in 1782 as the moated property of L.J. Van den Bossche. Current castle dating from 1774 likely on the site of an older castle. In the 19th century, it succeeded in ownership by Leirens, Van Goethem, and through marriage in 1887 to the Scottish noble family Rotsart de Hertaing. In the 20th century acquired by Mrs. Morel de Westgaver and since 1973 rented as office space. Domain with deciduous trees south of the ring canal and north of the E40 motorway. Preserved access avenues from the north (from the former Geraardsbergse Voetweg) and the west (from the Hundelgemsesteenweg) to the formerly moated lower courtyard with irregular pentagonal shape (see Hundelgemsesteenweg numbers 135-141). East of the former lower courtyard located country estate previously surrounded by a square moat (filled in). Current rectangular neoclassical castle resulting from an expansion and adjustment of the existing country estate in the mid-19th century probably designed by architect L. Minard (see preserved similar preliminary designs for the adaptation of the castle). Only a few sparse visible remains recall the old core: the anchored left side façade with painted year 1774 on the chimney and the wooden staircase with banister in Louis XVI style in the interior. Double house of nine bays and two and a half building layers, under cutting gable roofs (slates). Horizontalizing, plastered and white-painted façade with a hard stone plinth, surrounding hard stone window sill and main entablature with fluted architrave, frieze with mezzanine windows and wooden cornice on brackets. Slightly projecting central risalit of three bays of the front façade with arched door windows provided with hard stone arch lists on imposts. Furthermore rectangular windows, in the upper floor in profiled frames and in the risalit with applied palmette motif under straight cornice. Rear façade with strongly projecting risalit. Corners of the rear façade later (circa 1900) filled with extensions of one building layer under flat roof and crowned by a balustrade. Complete restoration of the castle in 1974 and at the back connected by a dark, glazed hallway to a new modern office building designed by architect W. Verstraate. Interior. Entrance hall from around 1900 decorated by the family Rotsart de Hertaing. Walls with medieval hunting scenes on a background of leaf and vine work, executed in colored sgraffito. Natural stone mantelpiece with family coat of arms and motto "Think on".

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