Landgoed Steenenburg Through the Centuries | Part 3: The End of the Castle

Haven’t read Part 1 yet? Discover the story leading up to this here in Landgoed Steenenburg Through the Centuries | Part 1: The Brabant Nobility and Landgoed Steenenburg Through the Centuries | Part 2: The Merger of Nieuwkuijk and Onsenoort.

The Winter That Changed Everything

In 1707, Isabella van Schagen married Jean-Francois d’Oultremont. After the House of Drunen, Drunen Castle, and Steenenburg Castle, it became known from then on as d’Oultremont Castle.

And did they live happily ever after? That might well have been the case, but the castle did not survive to see the end of the 18th century. Beginning in 1790, Napoleon’s French troops made several attempts to occupy Holland. Thanks in part to the Zuiderwaterlinie , they failed. The land was largely flooded, raised just high enough to prevent the horses from navigating through it. After all, they could no longer see the ditches and trenches.

As long as “the enemy” couldn’t fly over it, a water line like this worked perfectly. Although, it didn’t always function as intended. Take 1795, for example. It’s hard to imagine now, but a few centuries ago, we were still experiencing what’s known as the “Little Ice Age.” The winter of 1795 was a very cold one; it froze so hard it cracked, and even the rivers were frozen solid. Well, in that case, a water line is no help at all. It simply becomes a vast expanse of ice, across which French troops could march right into the Dutch provinces.

The Demise of d’Oultremont Castle

D’Oultremont Castle also plays a role here. First, the castle was seized by the French to be converted into a hospital for wounded soldiers. But because it was truly freezing cold, anything flammable was used to generate a little warmth. So it’s quite possible that someone with numb fingers might have missed their mark and started a fire where it wasn’t exactly convenient.

In any case, Onsenoort Castle burned to the ground.

But fortunately, we still have the gatehouse! The castle was never rebuilt; the materials that were still usable were sold, and the gatehouse was converted into a residence. So the castle has been gone for 230 years, but we are still searching for the exact location where it once stood.

Country Estate and Hunting Grounds

The d’Oultremont family’s home has always been Brussels. The family usually visited their estate in Nieuwkuijk twice a year. Or is it Drunen? To make matters even more complicated, in the Catholic south we also have parishes. Municipal and parish boundaries were by no means always the same. The castle unquestionably belonged to the parish of Nieuwkuijk, and the d’Oultremont family therefore attended church in Nieuwkuijk.

So twice a year—in the summer to their country estate, and in the fall, a whole party would come here for the hunt. The fact that the Landgoed Steenenburg has such beautiful avenues—which, incidentally, extended far beyond the boundaries of the current estate—is a result of the count’s investments in an attractive hunting ground.

From Noble Estate to Land van Ooit

In 1984, the d’Oultremont family sold the estate to Marc Taminiau, who would go on to establish “Land van Ooit” there. There was no financial necessity to sell, but by then it had become a costly hobby. Maintenance, taxes, and salaries added up significantly for a country estate that was only used twice a year.

After all, 1707 to 1984 spans a respectable 277 years. The 18 years of the “Land of Once Upon a Time,” from 1989 to 2007, stand in stark contrast to that.

A New Chapter for Steenenburg

After the municipality of Heusden purchased the estate, it took several more years before work began on creating a beautiful, historically grounded new residential neighborhood. The street names have a noble ring to them, and the lucky residents who get to live there may not feel like nobility in such a culturally and historically rich setting, but they will undoubtedly feel privileged.

Adrie Verboord

Adrie Verboord is the president of the Onsenoort Local History Society and, thanks to his curiosity and eagerness to learn, has accumulated a wealth of knowledge over the years about the history of the municipality of Heusden. In his own enthusiastic way, he brings historical events, remarkable individuals, and forgotten stories to life.

According to Adrie, local history is anything but stuffy. On the contrary: the more you know about the history of your surroundings, the more you’ll see, understand, and appreciate the places around you. In this blog series, he takes you on a journey through centuries of local history and shows you just how surprising, fascinating, and relevant the past can be.