Castle The Cells

Kapellestraat no. 113. Castle "De Cellen" (also "Celles" cf. De Flou), built on the site of an 18th-century country estate; a classical residence from around 1800 was rebuilt in 1873 into the current, neo-Renaissance castle. The estate currently consists of a castle in a surrounding park with a pond, a former farm, carriage house, chapel, and greenhouse. The name of the castle refers to a neighborhood name that has been recorded since 1654. Located in the anchorage "Kastelen Gruuthuyse-Cellen-Erkegem and Kampveld" cf. Landscape atlas.

History. 18th century. In the second half of the 18th century, the site of the current castle is first built upon. On a 19th-century map reflecting the state of 1770 (preserved in the State Archive in Bruges), four detached buildings are depicted with the notation "Speelgoet competerende Bernardu Godefroy" and a homestead located to the south, later referred to as the (and since 2002 demolished) "Vloedhoeve". The main volume of the estate has an irregular floor plan; the volumes of the current caretaker's residence and carriage house are also already represented, although in a slightly altered form. The same representation of the estate appears on the Cabinet map of the Austrian Netherlands, initiated by Count de Ferraris (1770-1778): a first northeast-oriented and then southeast-turning, tree-lined avenue leads to a country estate. A homestead is depicted along the Riverbeek to the south. Allegedly, the country estate at that time belonged to the Vleys family, more specifically to Thérèse Vleys de Westvoorde, who would marry Joseph de Bie. Around the turn of the century, the property belongs to their grandson Louis de Bie de Westvoorde (1796-1873).

19th century. Knight Louis de Bie de Westvoorde is mayor of Beernem and from 1830 also of Oostkamp. He marries Thérèse Le Gillon in 1824, and together they use "De Cellen" as a summer residence (they spend the winter months in the house "De Lombard" at Langestraat in Bruges). Presumably, he has the existing estate renovated into the classical mansion (of nine bays and three floors) as drawn by Van de Putte cf. the perfectly rectangular floor plan of the residence on the cadastral map of 1810. The primitive cadastral plan from around 1835 and a 19th-century map from the State Archive in Bruges show that east of the residence is a large pond and that the outbuildings have also been remodeled (compared to the state of 1810) and partially demolished. The entire estate is still owned by Louis de Bie around 1835, while the plots east of Kapellestraat, south of the castle domain, and west of the Riverbeek are owned by the d'Hanins de Moerkerke family, from the west-located castle domain "De Herten" (cf. Hertsbergsestraat nos. 2-4). In Vandermaelen's Atlas (1846-1854), the country residence is noted as "Campagne" and the southern "Vloedhoeve" as "Ter Heede Ferme".

In 1863, the cadastre notes a renovation of the living section of the farm on the estate. After the death of Louis de Bie de Westvoorde, one of his two sons inherits the winter residence in Bruges, and Louis-Charles (1826-1904), who married Henriette Pecsteen (1853-1914), inherits "De Cellen". Immediately after the death in 1874, he has part of the residence demolished and a fashionable castle built according to the design of Antwerp architect Jozef Schadde. A former country building, which stands across from the farm, is remodeled and expanded into the coach house, and a greenhouse is also constructed. These alterations are recorded by the cadastre in 1873 and 1883 respectively. Jozef Schadde (1818-1894), a typical example of 19th-century style virtuosity, is the provincial architect of Antwerp from 1869, executing various restorations and extensions on public buildings in that capacity. Additionally, he carries out projects throughout the country, including several castles, earning him the nickname "architecte des châteaux". According to the cadastre in 1889, a chapel is built on the estate, the farm is expanded on the southwest side, and an outbuilding is erected behind the coach house.

20th century. Upon the death of Louis-Charles de Bie de Westvoorde, who was mayor of Oostkamp between 1878 and 1904, the castle is inherited by his daughter Marguerite de Caters-de Bie de Westvoorde, who retains ownership until 1917. She constructs, among other things, a long greenhouse behind the coach house around 1910 (registered in the cadastre), which is demolished again in 1950.

In 1917, Marguerite de Bie de Westvoorde sells the entire estate to Pierre-Octave van der Plancke (1880-1957), then lord of the castle "De Herten" (cf. Hertsbergsetraat nos. 2-4) located west of Kapellestraat. Van der Plancke continues to reside at "De Herten", while "De Cellen" is lived in until 1921 by Albert Peers de Nieuwburgh, awaiting the construction of his new castle "De Breidels" (cf. Breidels no. 1). Afterwards, it is first rented to a certain Mrs. Carpentier (until 1931) and then to Pierre Burggraeve (between 1943-1953), who in the meantime has the castle "Cruydenhove" built (cf. no. 146). In the meantime, cf. mutation sketch from 1943 - the castle estate has been partially divided due to the construction of the Brussels-Ostend motorway (E40) and subsequently partially expropriated for the construction of the exit in 1956. Son Philippe van der Plancke has the pond remodeled in 1977 and in 2002 converts the former farm into a residence under the guidance of architect Filip Vlaeminck from Oostkamp.

Description. Castle. A quite impressive castle of seven bays and two stories under a mansard, slate roof, on a rectangular floor plan with an almost protruding tower volume at the northeast corner. A terrace is built on the south side in which the facade stone is incorporated with inscription "HENRIETTE LOUISE ANNE JACQUELINE / DE BIE DE WESTVOORDE / NÉE BARONNEN PECSTEEN / ME POSA LE 5 MARS 1874" and below "JOS. SCHADDE ARCH.". At the southwest corner, a part of the early 19th-century classical mansion is preserved cf. two bays and two stories under a slate roof. Orange brick construction enlivened with the use of natural stone for the various neo-Renaissance decorations cf. stringcourses, band courses, profiled window frames, balustrades, etc. Main volume on elevated ground floor. The three central bays are designed as a risalit crowned with a top piece under a broken pediment; the ground floor, accessible via several granite steps, is openworked as a round-arched gallery. The tower volume consists of three sections; the two lower ones are in rhythm and decoration with the facade; the lower, upper section is separated by a narrow, encircling balcony as a belvedere with an iron, figuratively designed railing. The original round tower roof with central crowning was removed in the 1980s-1990s due to intense woodworm damage. The east facade, next to the tower, is fashioned as a facade with a crowning, broken pediment with raised top piece. On the first floor, a balcony window with balustrade is flanked by the initials L(ouis de) B(ie) and H(enriette) P(ecsteen). Higher up, a panel with the castle name "CHATEAU / DES / CELLES" and above it the coats of arms. Inside, an impressive hall is preserved, on which there are two salons on the left. The salon in the southeast corner is decorated with various bee motifs in medallions, etc., referring to the former occupants, the family de Bie de Westvoorde.

Carriage house. A freestanding, elongated building to the west of the castle. Anchored, beige-painted brick wing topped by a gabled roof with black Flemish tiles. Plastered and gray-painted plinth. Ground floor equipped with seven white-painted round-arch doors. At the top, square windows. Preserved woodwork, including a cornice on brackets. Extended at the back.

Former farm (no. 115) has been converted to a caretaker's residence in recent years. Farm of the long gable type now consists of a living section of seven bays and one and a half stories under a renewed gabled roof with a roof turret. Heavily restored around 2002, including at the back. At the front, preserved rectangular openings under flat arches. The two extreme right bays form a room with a vault cellar below. Renewed woodwork in an old style; also shutters and a list under the eaves supported by brackets. An adjoining stable wing. Wooden barn on a brick plinth, covered with a gabled roof with alternating black and orange Flemish tiles.

Park. No information is available about any earlier garden layout at the country estate. Park development with elongated pond and a single island developed before 1835 (cf. primitive cadastre). Towards the last quarter of the 19th century, the park structure is modified multiple times, also with landscaping, essentially around 1876 with the establishment of a monumental orangery to the northeast of the castle under a tent roof with a pointed-arch greenhouse and potting shed on either side, an ice cellar to the east, boathouse with a screen front on the northern shore of the pond, and partially walled vegetable garden to the west, later supplemented by a chapel also to the west (circa 1888). Subsequently, greenhouses are added against the fruit wall (circa 1910), which are later removed (circa 1950).

The current park layout is possibly modified again in the first quarter of the 20th century by Brussels landscape architect Jules Buyssens (1872-1958) cf. pre-war initiatives by related family members at the castle "De Herten" in Oostkamp (cf. Hertsbergsestraat nos. 2-4) and the castle "Pecsteen" in Ruddervoorde (cf. Ruddervoorde, Hillestraat no. 41). In the various adjustments to the park structure, the original narrow pond structure is widened and redesigned with a couple of islands. The park boundary is altered around 1956 by the construction of the E40 motorway. Intact park layout with preserved characteristics of 19th- and 20th-century landscape design with multi-part pond, two islands, wide lawn areas, shrub masses (Rhododendron, ...), park tree clusters, and solitary park trees (including Plane tree, Summer oak, Pine, European beech, Weeping beech), park forest belts, access drive lined with Beech, park structures (monumental orangery with greenhouse, boathouse, ice cellar, chapel), and winding paths structure with a highly modeled relief. To the west, a largely abandoned vegetable garden space with partially preserved high fruit walls, covered by tiles. In some places, views are preserved of the now disappeared corner tower of the castle and the southern valley landscape of the Riverbeek. Semi-hardened access roads in fine blue porphyry gravel, other paths unpaved and slightly recessed in a modeled relief. Adjacent deciduous and mixed forest stocks with drives, mainly with Beech and Summer oak.

The various buildings in the park: Chapel, built together with the castle in the last quarter of the 19th century, and now almost hidden in the greenery. Orange brick chapel of two bays under a gabled roof with slates. East facade: gable with round-arch entrance under a granite roll layer. Cut buttresses at the corners and against the side facade. The tombstone on the floor ("SÉPULTURE / DE LA FAMILLE / CHEVALIER DE BIE / DE WESTVOORDE") was moved to this chapel from the excavation of the former cemetery (cf. Sint-Pietersplein no. ... ) around the Sint-Pieterskerk (cf. Gemeenteplein no. ... ).

Boathouse. A structure built into the bank consisting of a gabled roof with black Flemish tiles, camouflaged on both the bank and the water side by a wall of roughly placed (reportedly local) fieldstone. Orange brick orangery flanked on both sides by a semicircular, glass greenhouse on a brick plinth. Orangery: brick building under a gabled roof with Flemish tiles, rhythmically designed by three round-arch doors with windowed doors with small panes.

AROHM, Monuments and Landscapes, Landscape atlas, 2001, OC GIS-Vlaanderen. CADASTRAL ARCHIVE WEST FLANDERS IN BRUGES, 207: Mutation sketches, Oostkamp, 1863/25, 1876/19, 1883/120, 1889/14, 1910/34, 1950/35, 1943/4, 1950/35, 1956/31, 1977/27, 2002/49. CADASTRAL ARCHIVE WEST FLANDERS IN BRUGES, 212: Cadastral ledger, Oostkamp, articles 13 and 612. STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Collection of Maps and Plans, no. 1618: Cadastral maps of Sijsele, Oostkamp, Zedelgem and Sint-Kruis (Section F), 1810. STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Maps and plans Mestdagh, no. 1058A: Figurative map of a castle and grounds, owned by Jul. D'Hanins de Moerkerke-van Outryve, 19th century.

ARREN P., De Cellen, Oostkamp, in From castle to castle, part 8, Kapellen, 1999, p. 199-203. BOULJON B., The Oostkamp, Ruddervoorde, Hertsberge and Waardamme of then. A collection of photographs from the four Oostkamp municipalities in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, Bruges, 1984, p. 52. CLAEYS G., Chronicle of Oostkamp, Bruges, 1985, p. 293. CLAEYS G., Oostkamp in old postcards, Zaltbommel, 1982, no. 48-49. DEMULDER J., The chapels in Oostkamp, in Heemkundige Kring Oostkamp, no. 4, vol. 2, 2001, p. 15.

VAN DE PUTTE F., Souvenirs de voyage. Studies of landscapes from nature, Bruges, n.d. users.skynet.be/sb176943/AndriesVandenAbeele/de_lombard.htm

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