The Cold Barn

This farm has its origins as the outpost of the Templars. It has been mentioned since 1392 and is depicted on the map of Brugse Vrije by Pieter Pourbus (1561-1571). The Templars received this land directly through a donation from the Counts of Flanders in the 12th century. They used the donated land as agricultural land and thus built this large farm. The moat encloses a residential yard of about 100m by 100m and is up to 8m wide. Therefore, it is a quite prestigious site.
The name 'Koude Schuur' (in French: La Froide Granche) refers to the wet soil condition that makes the ground difficult to warm up in spring. These "cold grounds" are the reclaimed Ijzerpolders, on which this farm was built. Traces of the original fortification are still visible, although the farm was rebuilt in 1921 after war damage. The architect T. Raison was likely responsible for the design of the reconstruction.
Neighbors long believed that the Templars had cursed this farm. Several legends take place at this farm. One story goes that a will-o'-the-wisp, a restless soul, appears on the wooden fence of the barn in the form of a burning candle. When someone from the neighborhood walks home along here in the evening, the candle suddenly goes out, without a living soul nearby...
Also, around the Koude Schuur, black cats are said to prowl at night, which can cause you to fall into the water. No matter how one tries to hit the cats, nothing can harm them...

Toerisme Middelkerke