Moermond Castle is a castle in Renesse on Schouwen-Duiveland.
Castle Characteristics
The first castle
The first castle was built northeast of the current castle. It was a water castle that was destroyed in about 1297. The first castle was never seen till it was rediscovered during the 1956 excavations.
This first castle was polygonal. Judging from the estimated one third that was found in the 1950s, it formed a rough circle. The wall was about 1.60 m wide, and has small outward protrusions on the corners. On the northwest side a square tower was part of the wall. Its walls were 2.25 m thick. As this tower interrupts the line of the wall, one might suppose that it was a gatehouse, like that of Egmond Castle.
The parts that were uncovered allowed archaeologists to calculate that the diameter of the circle would have been about 60 m. On the inside of the wall, clusters of foundation piles were found at regular intervals, see plan with excavations. Judging from the place and form of the clusters, these supported the foundation feet of buttresses, which supported a chemin de ronde. The piles stood in the peat ground, which explains the name Moermont.
In the center of the terrain, two sides of a square building were uncovered. On its corner were vestiges of a stair tower. The configuration of the first castle is reminiscent of the polygonal Burcht of Voorne, which was built somewhat later. Even so, there are no indications that Moermond was a Motte-and-bailey castle like Voorne.
After the excavations, the walls of the first castle were consolidated. They can now be seen at the edge of the other side of one of the current Moermond castle's moats.
The Second castle
The second castle stood south of the current castle on the same island. Its core was a tower house measuring 6 by 10 m on the inside. On the southeast side it had two round towers. On its western corner was a connected privy tower with waste funnel. This tower house dated from before 1339. The brick used in this building was repurposed brick from the first castle.
From this tower house, a wall led to the northwest. Its connection to the current castle could not be clearly established in the 1950s. Another question that was not answered at the time, was the location of the wall that one might suppose to have to been located to the east of the wall that was found.
At the northern edge of the second castle there was a gatehouse. It was built from re-used brick of the first castle. measuring 27.5-28.5 * 13.5-14.5 * 6.5–8 cm. When the third castle was built, this medieval gatehouse became its core. It led to the supposition that the current castle was a tower house that succeeded the first castle. A part of this misconception was solved when in 1957 the second castle was discovered. Later, the supposed tower house was investigated.
The third and current castle
The current castle was built in 1513 by changing the gatehouse of the second castle. This date is known from an inscription above the fireplace of the castle. It had the arms of the new owners, and the statement that it was the third time the castle was newly built. The first change was to close the gate openings on both sides. Next, the basement was vaulted, see picture.
A square wing was then added on the southwest of the former gatehouse, also from repurposed brick. Somewhat later, this was expanded to the north and south. This was also when the southwest stair house was built, that is now topped with a shed roof. Some ceiling beams from the early 16th century still remain.
In the 17th century, the octagonal stair tower and east wing were built in 1612. This created an inner courtyard, where the façade on the western side was also changed. The small renaissance gate south of it dates from 1613. Still somewhat later, the low annex southeast of it was built.
The castle was repaired in 1751. In 1911 the castle was restored based on the plans of J. Hoogenboom. After the damage caused by the North Sea flood of 1953, the castle was again restored in 1958–1960. This was also when the three decorative little towers on the low wall around the castle were restored based on old pictures.
The orangery was built in about 1840. The neoclassical façade remains.