Castle de Groote

Eugène de Grootelaan nos. (64-)66. Castle of Houthulst, also known as "Castle de Groote", with surrounding park, located in the "Forest of Houthulst", a remnant of the historic "Vrijbos". The castle dates back to the rebuilding period, following the castle built by Jan-Pieter Cassiers in 1848. The castle and park are oriented towards Eugène de Grootelaan and Melanedreef. History of the site Jan-Pieter Cassiers (born in 1788 in Antwerp) bought a piece of forest land in 1838, aimed at forest yields. This is part of the privatization of the "Forest of Houthulst", initiated under Dutch rule. Previously, Cassiers - married to Countess Caroline de Patin de Langemarck, born in Langemark in 1823 - was already the owner of hundreds of hectares of farmland and forests in central West Flanders. In 1848, he built a castle near the hunting pavilion erected a few years earlier. In that same year, Cassiers managed to get himself appointed as mayor of the municipality of Klerken-Houthulst. The new mayor's first priorities are the construction of the Poelkapelle-Diksmuide road (1853) and subsequently the parish and village foundation of Houthulst in 1853-1857 (cf. village introduction). The new road structure and the village of Houthulst ensure that the castle is no longer isolated but at the edge of the new village of Houthulst. After the death of the Cassiers (Pieter in 1870, his wife in 1882), the inheritance is divided into five: the castle with part of the park and four other parts consisting of farmland and forests. Raymond de Groote - overseer of the family - gets priority in the selection and chooses the lot with the castle that still bears his name today. In October 1914, the "Forest of Houthulst" fell into German hands. Subsequently, the Germans took residence in the still standing buildings of Houthulst and set up the "Forest of Houthulst" as a hub of defensive works with trenches and barbed wire barriers. A network of railways was established for the supply and removal of materials to the nearby front line. In the castle, a care center for the wounded and an observation post were installed. There are also a funeral home, several cemeteries, forest chapels, theaters, training fields, etc. in the forest. From here, Ypres was shelled by German cannons on November 22, 1914. During the final offensive of September 28, 1918, in which a large part of the Belgian army participates, the recapture of the "Forest of Houthulst" is seen as a crucial point. The 7th Infantry Division recaptures the forest, but not without significant losses. The castle of Houthulst comes out heavily damaged from the First World War. In the 1920s, reconstruction began, reportedly according to the design of architect Jozef Viérin (Bruges). Description of the castle The castle of 1848 is built in a sober brick architecture with neoclassical elements cf. the soberly rhythmically arranged facades with corner pilasters, but also contains a number of eclectic elements. Fully vaulted building (raised plinth as a full-fledged building layer with service rooms). Central part of three bays and two building layers under a gabled roof, accentuated by a neatly finished cornice. Stairway with (bluestone) railings leading to a portal risalit, flanked by oculi. The central part is flanked on both sides by lower wings of one bay, bordered by crenellations. These wings extend at the rear where they enclose a wooden loggia. In front of the castle is a large pond in which the castle is reflected. During the reconstruction in the 1920s, the raised plinth (basement floor) and especially the staircase are partially preserved. Thus, the castle refers in ground plan and in certain aspects (cf. infra) to the pre-war situation, but it acquires a much heavier roof structure with a central roof turret. The floor plan is only modified on the west side by the expansion with a polygonal tower with a loggia under the roof and a garage. Neatly constructed brickwork with corner pilasters and portal risalit referring to the pre-war castle, enclosed under a U-shaped slate gabled roof, with the three central bays, however, with a higher rising gabled roof under a roof turret with an ornate iron top piece. Neatly finished roof windows, as well as the gable ends of the roof each with a round topping. Shoulder arch-shaped and rectangular wall openings. Preserved woodwork with cross divisions and small rods divisions. At the rear, preserved, simplified loggia structure. Stairs with bluestone railing, pedestals with round topping. Interior. Central hall with composite beam layer of main and secondary beams, profiled and partly polychromed. Fireplace with Bruges moefen, fireplace mouth filled with sintered bricks and tile tableaux depicting animals, fireplace breast with tile tableau with Calvary. 'Flemish room' with paneling, wall cupboards, wall coverings, interior shutters, parquet floor. Furthermore, a fireplace with styles ending in heads, fireplace mouth filled with sintered bricks and fireplace breast with inscription in Gothic letters: "OUR LADY DELIVERS THIS HOUSE FROM WARS, PLAGUES, AND DISPUTES". Basement partly with preserved beam structure. Furthermore, a cellar with preserved vaults and Boomse tiles. Only part of the pre-war pond has been preserved, however with the retention of a canal system. An 19th-century ice cellar has also been preserved. Park transitioning into forest structure. PRIEM V., Castles and country houses in the Westhoek, Second Part, Ypres, 1998, p. 61-66. LESAGE X., Elements of the landscape history of present "Houthulst", in Contribution to the history of Houthulst. From 19th-century parish foundation to municipality (1928), Brussels, 1988, p. 17 (iconography). LESAGE X., SCHACHT J et al., Houthulst as an independent municipality, in Contribution to the history of Houthulst. From 19th-century parish foundation to municipality (1928), Brussels, 1988, p. 57-70. VERSCHUREN R., Houthulst in war and resistance, in Contribution to the history of Houthulst. From 19th-century parish foundation to municipality (1928), Brussels, 1988, p. 45-56.

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