Abcoude Castle

A castle on the border

You are here on the former border of the County of Holland and the Diocese of Utrecht, from the Middle Ages there were often quarrels and wars about this.

Here the Slot Abcoude was located on the territory of Utrecht. In the back of the meadow you can still see the moat and some foundations.

The castle was probably built around 1268 by order of the first lord of the castle Zweder van Zuylen.
He was assigned this place by the bishop of Utrecht, who wants to bind him to himself. The castle would have been little more than a square tower.

Later many lords of the castle followed, all more or less remained loyal to the bishop of Utrecht. The castle is rebuilt and expanded a number of times.

In 1672 it was used militarily in the Fans-Dutch War. From here, soldiers of the greatly weakened Dutch army tried to counter the attack of the French. They could not prevent the French from destroying and burning all of Abcoude.
However, the advance of the French army was halted by flooding the land between Muiden, Weesp and Gorinchem. This was part of the (old) Utrecht Water Line, conceived and set up some fifty years earlier.

The castle was spared, but after this war the castle is empty and falls into disrepair. In 1704 the castle is described as totally dilapidated.
In 1715 it was sold and restored, but in 1820 it fell into disrepair again. It was demolished around 1860.

Laurien van der Vaart