Walenburg

The building, formerly also called Walensteyn, was already mentioned in the 13th century. At the end of the 13th or beginning of the 14th century, two floors were built, after which the current height of almost 15 meters was reached.

The keep is probably from the 14th century, and stood alone for many years. The tower originally consisted of only one room above which there was a combat platform. The façade was then 6.5 meters high. The walls are 120cm thick. The building rests on vaults and corner pillars. Around 1550 a residential wing was added.

At the end of the 14th century, the tower came into the possession of the De Ridder van Groenenstein family, who owned several homesteads. Until 1574 Nicolaas de Ridder was the owner of the castle. When he had too much debt, he had to sell it to Mr Johan van Lendt in Utrecht. He sold it four years later to Johan van der Meer, who sold the Walenburg in 1582 to Jan van Hattum van Rhijnestein. That same day, the Walenburg was sold to Johan Botter van Snellenburch.

In 1648 the castle was sold to Diederik van Doeyenburch à Cuylenburch, who held the castle until 1661. The next owner was George Johan baron van Weede. The Walenburg remained in that family until it was sold to Jan Robbert Mollerus in 1733. In 1761 the Walenburg was sold to Johannes Mathys Swemmelaar and his wife Anna Maria van Plasburg. After her death, her son was granted the estate in 1792.

In 1803 the castle came into the possession of the van Lynden van Sandenburg family. Gijsbert Karel Cornelis Jan baron van Lynden van Sandenburg had the outbuildings demolished and a farm was built against the tower.

The severely dilapidated building was restored in 1965 - 1967 by architect Elias Anthony Canneman, then chief architect of Monumentenzorg. The gatehouse was reconstructed.

With his wife, the landscape architect Maria Elisabeth Canneman-Philipse , he created a geometric garden on the rectangular moat site. The different rooms are an extension of the castle. The garden was managed for a long time by the Dutch Garden Foundation .

After his retirement, Canneman and his wife lived at the castle. After that, the Walenburg was occupied by a member of the family of Lynden van Sandenburg. In 2000 it was issued on a leasehold basis.

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