Castle of Walfergem 9.1 km

Departure point: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Petrus Ascanusplein 1730 Walfergem (Asse)

Distance: 9.1 km

Park of the Castle of Walfergem Wolfrot 22 (Asse)

Estate of approximately 15 hectares at the 'house of pleasure' dating from around 1710, featuring a partially walled vegetable garden, an orangery, and originally also a geometrically designed island garden of 39 ares, transformed and integrated into a landscape-style park in the 1860s.

The predecessor of the current country house Huseghem, also known as the Castle of Walfergem or Castle Delvaux, is the court at Huseghem, which has been mentioned in various administrative documents since the 15th century. In 1654, Huseghem – described in the deed as "tenant farm with houses, barns, stables, and other buildings standing thereon, surrounded by ditches" – was sold to surveyor Arnoult t'Kint, who two years later transferred it to his son Joos. In 1661, a first map appeared – two schematically depicted buildings and numbered plots referring to a description. Arnoult's grandson Steven, a cloth weaver, alderman of the Brussels 'chamber of commerce,' and mayor of Brussels, was allocated the estate in 1699, expanded it through various purchases, and reserved a portion for himself and his family as a summer residence ('playhouse'). The 'play house' that belonged to this portion – a brick double house consisting of five bays and two stories on a plinth of white Balegem sandstone and under a gabled roof – was built around 1710. The four facade stones under the cornice, which form the year 1729, refer to the transformation of the middle bay into a central entrance projection. Presumably, the original sandstone cross windows and the corresponding relieving arches were also replaced by the current hard stone frames at that time. A chapel was established in the middle bay. This renovation was carried out by Jacques t'Kint, son of Steven.