Castle Erkegem

Hertsbergsestraat no. 2-4. Castle "Erkegem", formerly known as "De Herten" (no. 2), located in an expansive park with a pond, and an adjoining coach house, horse stables, and gamekeeper's house (no. 4). Castle in neo-Flemish Renaissance style, built in 1907 according to the design plans of architect Stephan Mortier. The castle domain is bordered to the north by the Brussels-Oostende motorway (E40), to the east by Hertsbergsestraat, to the south by the Nieuwenhove forest, and to the west by the current Hertendreef. The (historic) main access is at Legendaledreef, although it is presumably no longer used today due to neglect. Legendaledreef connects the castle directly with Kortrijksestraat. A second entrance is located along Hertsbergsestraat at the level of the entrance and exit to the mentioned motorway. The castle domain is located in the anchorage "Kastelen Gruuthuyse-Cellen-Erkegem and Kampveld" cf. Landscape Atlas.

History.
16th century. The customs of the Brugse Vrije mention that Erkegem in 1574 was a lordship of 737 measured and 11 rods connected to a bailiff, a mayor, seven aldermen, and an officer. During that period, there was already a castle in Erkegem, but it is situated at another (yet unknown) location.

18th century. A castle marked "Casteel Erkeghem" is depicted on a map from the Archive of the lordship of Erkegem from 1759, but this refers to the seat of the former lordship. The same applies to the toponymic castle on a map from 1766 which is annexed to the transport of Oostkamp (1661-1662). In any case, on the Cabinet map of the Austrian Netherlands, compiled at the initiative of Count de Ferraris (1770-1778), only forest is visible at the level of the current castle, in the then hamlet of Den Daele. This is a remnant of the elongated forest belt (the 'Warande') of the old hunting domain of the lords of "Gruuthuse" (cf. Stationsstraat no. 196). The forest is marked at the end of the 18th century to the east by the Nieuwenhovedreef, an avenue that runs from castle "Gruuthuse" to the hamlet of Nieuwenhove, and to the west by the then Kortrijksestraat.

19th century. The first estate at the current location dates according to literature from around 1810. In the period 1798-1810, around 144 hectares of forest and lands are purchased and in 1810 Jacques De Rijm, married to Marie de Meulenaere, widow of Pierre-Jacques van der Plancke († 1798), lets a neoclassical castle be built there. An old photo shows a plastered and white painted castle of two and a half building layers under a slate hip roof, whose façade is accentuated by a portico supported by four imposing columns, with a triangular pediment. In the same year, after the permission of Duke d'Ursel, the access avenue to the castle, the current Legendaledreef, is established on the condition that the passage has a width of nine meters and that oak trees are planted on both sides of the road.

In 1816, the castle and the park are sold. Arren claims that the estate is purchased by Ferdinand d'Hanins (1775-1820), who manages to expand the domain significantly through various purchases. Around 1850, the domain thus comes into the hands of his son Aimé (nicknamed Aquila) d'Hanins (count from 1858) (1805-1869). However, the cadastre mentions that the castle is bought in 1816 by Julien d'Hanins de Moerkerke, general and adjutant to His Majesty the Duke of Brabant. He significantly expands the domain, including through the purchase of the former, now demolished "Vloedhoeve" (cf. Kapellestraat). During the same period, the park around the neoclassical castle is laid out cf. original cadastre plan from around 1835. The castle is, according to the original plan and a colorful 19th-century plan of a castle, property of Julien d'Hanins (preserved in the State Archive of Bruges), oriented towards the current Hertendreef, northeast of the castle are the outbuildings, east a pond, and southwest a garden. Indication of the castle as "campagne d'Hanins de Moerkerke" in the Atlas der Buurtwegen (circa 1843) and (incorrectly) as "Château du duc d'Ursel" in the Atlas of Vandermaelen (1846-1854). Presumably in 1880 (cf. cadastre data, as Arren mentions it as early as 1858!) Aquila d'Hanins de Moerkerke sells the castle domain to Octave van der Plancke (1813-1881), grandson of the aforementioned Pierre-Jacques van der Plancke, who, however, dies just one year later. His (newborn) son Pierre-Octave van der Plancke (1880-1957) inherits the castle. According to cadastre data, extensive modifications to the castle and park occur in 1883. Thus, for example, the boathouse is also built.

20th century. In 1907, Pierre-Octave van der Plancke has the existing castle partially demolished and renovated into the current castle (registration by the cadastre in 1909 and 1910). He calls upon the provincial architect of East Flanders, Stephan Mortier (1857-1934), who designs numerous public buildings, preferably in neo-Gothic style. Additionally, he also designs various restorations, but to a limited extent for private individuals. Mortier integrates the existing empire salon in the northwest part of the former castle into the design for the new castle "De Herten". The coach house and the underlying horse stables are built around 1908-1913. The orangery with greenhouses and other utility buildings of the first castle are demolished; only the existing early 19th-century shed is preserved. The existing castle park is also redeveloped at the beginning of the 20th century, particularly according to a design by Brussels landscape architect Jules Buyssens (1872-1958). The 19th-century buildings in the park such as the boathouse, the obelisk, and the gazebo are retained. Pierre-Octave van der Plancke, mayor of Oostkamp from 1944 to 1947, who is very concerned about the castle domain, expands the domain and establishes various forests. Thus, he also purchases the castle "De Cellen" (cf. Kapellestraat no. 113) located to the northeast of the street in 1917 and rents it out. In 1949, a small chapel is erected on the domain, completely hidden in greenery. In 1957, the son of Pierre-Octave van der Plancke, Jean van der Plancke (1910-1996), becomes the owner of the castle. He ensures a thorough alteration of the natural environment and the remodeling of the interior of the castle. During the 1970s, van der Plancke changes the name of the castle to "Erkegem", referring to the former lordship. In 1971, the cadastre registers the construction of the villa within the walls of the disused vegetable garden. Since 1996, the castle has been split in two by means of a movable wall and is inhabited by Jean-Pierre van der Plancke.

Description.
Castle. The current castle "Erkegem" is designed in neo-Flemish Renaissance style on the site of the early 19th-century castle that was demolished around 1906. Anchored orange brick construction under a slate hip roof, combined with limestone for decoration and bluestone for the plinth. It is built on a rectangular ground plan with a protruding open loggia at the front as the entrance. On the northeast corner, the ground plan has been expanded with a quasi externally attached tower, and in the rear façade, a second tower volume is integrated. Against the south façade, there is a bay window with a partly surrounding terrace added. The façades are enlivened by 'white' corner chains, bands pulled through lintels, under and intermediate sills, block relief arches, and door frames. The central bays of the façade are conceived as a slight risalit, accentuated by a stepped gable with a slanted top piece; cartouches on the stepped gable with the inscription "ANNO 1907" and "KASTEEL DE HERTEN". The loggia on the ground floor is crowned with a balcony with balustrades bearing the coats of arms of the van der Plancke family with the inscription "IN FIDELITATE ROBUR". Roof with various roof windows with or without gable tops. Rear façade with octagonal tower under a bell-shaped roof and an octagonal corner tower with a simple tower top.

Interior. The former entrance hall was divided with a movable wall. To the left, a neoclassical salon opens from the hall, a remnant of the early 19th-century castle. It is decorated with stucco ceilings with straight-cut corners with rosettes and a marble fireplace. The coach house and the behind situated gamekeeper's house stylistically fully connect with the castle. The coach house, dated "1908" on the large gable on the left, is dominated by the large octagonal tower with wrought-iron crowning on the west side and the three coach entrances in the front façade.

Park. Large park laid out in the mid-19th century (designer unknown), expanded and modified in the 20th century according to the design of Jules Buyssens (layout plan preserved in the castle). However, the park itself does not change drastically, with the exception of the new planting of the vegetable garden and the adaptation of the pond area; it is simplified particularly concerning the path structure. Well-preserved park with a design of landscape style, such as open grasslands, park forest borders with winding finishes, an irregularly shaped water feature around an island, terrain modeling, groups of trees, and solitary trees in open meadows, shrub masses; scattered throughout the park are various park ornaments (obelisk, statues/sculpture, chapel, …), garden pavilion, boathouse, bridges. Various remarkable trees are present with dendrological value due to the size, age, species, or variety.

From the historic entrance at Legendaledreef, the access road, bordered with hydrangeas, leads to the castle; in front of the castle lies an open grass field, bordered by a park forest belt, and scattered lie numerous tree groups (oak, sweet chestnut, red beeches, … often with rhododendron undergrowth) and solitary park trees (lime, maple, summer oaks, false Christ thorn, weeping beech, …) in the open grass field.

In the southern direction, a long vista over the open grass field towards a group of trees (plane trees); a winding path at the back on an elevation but invisible from the castle due to the accompanying rhododendron hedge. To the east of the castle lies a richly designed park around a water feature and an island, vista from the castle over a part of the water feature. On the shore lies an ice cellar (hill covered with sweet chestnuts), a boathouse, solitary and remarkable park trees (red beech, beech, tulip tree, lime, swamp cypress, …); at the top of the island is an obelisk and a garden pavilion; on the flanks are a few bosquets, grassland, and groups of trees.

To the north of the castle and the outbuildings is a remaining kitchen garden wall, an access gate, an attached greenhouse, and a small utility building. Currently, a villa is located in the middle of the former vegetable garden and/or orchard.

The 19th-century buildings in the park that belonged to the park of the first neoclassical castle of 1810 were integrated into the new, early 20th-century park.

The gazebo, located on a hill, is a round, gray-painted brick structure that is rhythmically marked on one side by round-arched windows with a fan-shaped transom and on the other side by slender, orange-painted columns that seemingly support the wooden cornice on brackets. One of the round-arched windows is painted in trompe-l'oeil. Still on the hill is an obelisk.

In the southern part of the park, there is a sculptural work with a mythological representation (possibly 'The abduction of Sibyl by Saturn' or 'The abduction of Orithyia by Boreas'). Furthermore, one can find a brick bridge and two brick pillars at the start of an avenue in the park.

The monumental wooden boathouse from 1883 is located on the east bank of the pond. Wooden construction of two stories under a strongly overhanging gable roof with red mechanical tiles, which is supported by posts that lean on the balcony railing at the height of the second story. Round-arched entrance for the boats.

Shed from 1810, located on the east side of the park. White-painted, anchored brick construction with a black plinth, covered by a slightly overhanging gable roof with Flemish tiles. Two segment-arched door openings. Adjacent storage cellar consisting of a brick wall with a red-painted segment-arched door. Inside white-painted barrel vault; the space is divided by a brick wall.

Nestled among the greenery to the northwest of the castle, there is a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady, erected as thanks for protection during World War II. Orange brick pillar chapel dated by year anchors "1949". Round-arched niche with small, stone statue of Mary. Gabled roof with green-painted detailing.

AROHM, Monuments and Landscapes, Landscape Atlas, 2001, OC GIS-Flanders.

CADASTRAL ARCHIVE WEST FLANDERS IN BRUGES, 207: Mutation sketches, Oostkamp, 1858/57, 1883/122, 1909/13, 1910/35, 1913/13, 1928/72, 1971/57.

CADASTRAL ARCHIVE WEST FLANDERS IN BRUGES, 212: Cadastral register, articles 612, 782 and 3149. STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Maps and plans Mestdagh, no. 1058A: Figurative map of a castle and grounds, property of Jul. D'Hanins de Moerkerke-van Outryve, 19th century.

STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Maps and plans Mestdagh, no. 1058B: Figurative map of a castle and grounds, property of Jul. D'Hanins de Moerkerke-van Outryve, 1843. STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Maps and plans Mestdagh, no. 1062: Figurative map of a farmstead "Erckeghem" located under the lordship of Erkegem, property of J.-Ch. De Carnin, Ch. Van Caloen, 1821.

STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Maps and plans Mestdagh, no. 1064A: Figurative map of a farmstead and grounds under the lordships of Erkegem and Oostkamp, property of the widow of J. de Meulenaere born Marie van Severen, 19th century.

STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Surveyors archive Peper, no. 386: Oostkamp, transport in Oostkamp of the lordships, according to Jacques Lobberecht, 1661-1662.

STATE ARCHIVE BRUGES, Archive of the lordships, parishes, and alderman courts of Oostkamp: Archive of the lordship of Erkegem, transport no. 18, 1759.

ARCHIVE FAMILY VAN DER PLANCKE OOSTKAMP: Plan Monsieur Van der Plancke: Château des Cerfs à Oostkamp, Project for transformation in the Park, s.d. (J. Buyssens).

MUNICIPAL LIBRARY OOSTKAMP: Documentation file under "Oostkamp Patrimony", History of the castle park Erkegem in Oostkamp.

ARREN P., Erkegem, Oostkamp, in From castle to castle, part 9, Kapellen, 1999, pp. 204-208.

BEERNAERT B., CARDINAEL P., A garden is more than what is there, Open Monument Days, Sint-Amandsberg, 2002, p. 43.

BOULJON B., Het Oostkamp, Ruddervoorde, Hertsberge, and Waardamme of yesteryears. A collection of photographs of the four Oostkamp districts in the 19th and the first half of the 20th century, Bruges, 1984, pp. 51, 65.

BOULJON B., Oostkamp, Ruddervoorde, Hertsberge, and Waardamme in old postcards, Zaltbommel, 1981, no. 54, 85.

CLAEYS G., The castles of Oostkamp, Castle Erkegem, in Cultural Life in Oostkamp, vol. 6, no. 1, 1976, p.sp.

CLAEYS G., The castles of Oostkamp, taken from De Merel - Cultural Life 1971-1980, s.l., s.d., pp. 15-18.

CLAEYS G., Chronicle of Oostkamp, Bruges, 1985, p. 367.

CLAEYS G., Oostkamp in old postcards, Zaltbommel, 1982, no. 53-54.

DEMULDER J., The chapels in Oostkamp, in Historical Circle Oostkamp, no. 4, vol. 2, 2001, pp. 14-15.

VERPOEST L., Mortier Stephan, in Repertory of architecture in Belgium from 1830 to present, 2003, p. 428.

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