Aldendriel Castle is late medieval castle in Mill, North-Brabant, Netherlands
Castle Characteristics
Aldendriel Castle is a late medieval castle with a large outer bailey. It is dated to 1477. There are no indications that it ever had walls that were able to withstand a siege. However, the castle does have a wide double moat. This suggests a defendable character, even if it could not be defended against siege equipment.
The main building on the current keep consists of two parts. The highest, northern and western parts, are sixteenth century, and contain parts built with timber framing. During the seventeenth century the castle became a square building of about the current size. By that time, any defensive aspects of the site were obsolete.
In 1763 the main building got a new façade on the inter court side. This is also the time that the northern façade got a protruding part in the center. In 1800 the gatehouse was changed, or a new gatehouse was built. This finally resulted in the two stepped gables, see floor plan of 1954.
The outer bailey, with its five gates with brick pilasters and stone capitals is seventeenth century. The outer bailey reflects the manorial functions of the estate.
Current use
In 2021 the castle was still private property. The main mansion continuous to have a residential purpose. The outer bailey is a venue for parties and business meetings for 50-350 persons. It is popular for weddings, employee parties, business meetings and other events. There is no general access for the public.
History
Van der Voort
From about 1500, members of the Van der Voort family are mentioned near Mill. In 1636 Barthold van der Voort married Maria van Eyck. Their son Albert Francis van der Voort married Maria Pollart in 1685.
Van Dongelberg
Henry Albert Barthold of Dongelberghe (?-1727) had married Catharina Maria van Eyck (?-1753). She was the daughter of the older brother of Maria van Eyck. She inherited Blaarthem Castle from her father, and brought it into her marriage to Van Dongelberghe. Some of their children were: Philip Charles (1695-1740); Barthold Henry, Lord of Aldendriel (1697-1719); and Francis Hyacinth (1710-1780) Aldendriel was obviously inherited by her family via Maria van Eyck.
In 1727 Philip Charles de Dongelberghe transferred the castle and all his goods in Mill to the Baron of Dongelberghe, lord of Blaarthem. In 1737 C.M. van Eyck douarière de Dongelberghe got a farm.
In 1753 Francis Hyacinth became formal owner of some lands which had previously belonged to Philip Charles. This might have been a legal move to enable the subsequent sale of the domains.
Comte de Pas Marquis de Feuquières
The Comtes de Pas became lords of Kasteel Well in the late seventeenth century. Henri comte de Pas had three sons. In 1701 the third son Maximilian married Amelia Catharina Bormans, a marriage way below his station. His mother disinherited him in her 1711 will, and so he had to litigate to get his inheritance. In 1725 his son Anthony Maximilian (1708-1771) succeeded him. In November 1733 he married Odilia Louise van Stepraedt. In 1754 Anthony de Pas bought Aldendriel from the Baron of Dongelbergh for 11,000 guilders.
De Liedel
Willem Liedel, son of a Prussian petty official became a ship doctor. He sailed with the Dutch East India Company for the first time in 1735. After making a few trips to the East Indies, he became a free citizen in Batavia in 1745. He acquired a huge fortune, and then returned to the Netherlands. Here he settled at the Leuvehaven in Rotterdam. In 1750 he discovered that his grandniece Odilia was wife to the childless Lord of Well (and Aldendriel). The very rich Willem then contacted the debt-ridden count. It therefore seems likely that Liedel provided the money for the above purchase.
In 1764 Willem Liedel bought a knight title in Frankfurt. The big renovation of the castle is dated to the year 1763, formed by the anchor plates in a wall. It shows that Liedel was involved at Aldendriel before he became its owner. He might have needed a residence to be able to buy the knight title. He also bought 15 other parcels of land from Dongelberghe. In 1755, 1760 and 1766 he bought some more land under Mill.
On 14 December 1771 the Comte de Pas died. His widow then made Knight Willem de Liedel heir to the lordship of Well and Aldendriel, and died two months later. On 4 March 1772 Willem was installed as Lord of Well, and changed his name to De Liedel de Well. On 2 June he then married the 22 year old Theresia Josepha Maria Coget.