Kasteel Tanghof

Tanghof Castle is located in the middle of the fields between Kontich and Waarloos. Originally, in the 15th century, there was a farm on this place with a swamp around it. In the 18th century, the castle was further expanded by the well-known architect Jan Peter van Baurscheit. You may know this from the royal palace and the Osterriethhuis on the Meir in Antwerp. This man adapted the castle to the fashion of the time, the rococo style. A French garden and court moat were also immediately created. During the peasant war, the Tanghof was the local headquarters of the insurgents against the French. Today this castle is privately owned, but can be seen from the street side for a bit. The owner received an offer from the municipality of Kontich to make the surrounding park public, but this turned out to be difficult. The domain is completely private, but I got permission from the owner to shoot some photos along the entire front. Rectangular rococo castle within a trapezoidal courtyard moat with widening on the east and west side and partly curved on the south side; lined with lanes. Paved state square with central circular lawn, on the west and east sides coach house and stables (ridge perpendicular to the street) from the 18th century, and on the south side an axially implanted castle (ridge parallel to the street) from the fourth quarter of the 16th century - or early 17th century and the third quarter of the 18th century. On the west side of the farm with separate components and private access across the Hofgracht. Landscape park with lawn in front of the south facade of the castle, in which an image depicting Apelles by Walter Pompe. Well mentioned from 1316, but was owned by Boudewijn van Echove in the 12th century. In the 15th-16th century it was called "'t Goet ter Tangen" and consisted of a farm. Symon vander Couwerborch inherited the property from his mother but sold it in 1451 to Gielyse Buytoir of Butoor. Subsequently it came into the possession of Jan de Pierefite alias Chermoys and in the early 16th century it came into the hands of the family de Renialme and was recorded in 1539 as an agricultural operation with a gatehouse in which a living room. Jan Carlo de Renialme de Cordes owned the court from 1585 and probably had a playhouse built in traditional style between 1585 and 1609. Owned by the de Cordes family and Jan Carlo de Cordes in 1609-1610, the Reepkenslei constructed around 1610 as a straight connection between castle and road. Later came into the possession of the Tucher family and in the 18th century by the Roose family. From then on referred to as "Roosenhof" or "'t Hof van Roose". Between 1730 and 1780 the castle underwent major changes: adaptation of the facade to the prevailing rococo fashion in terms of wall openings and three-sided pediment, the latter replacing a stepped gable; totally new rear facade, coach house and storage. The entrance gate, a French geometric garden and court moat also date from this period. From 1809 the old name "Tanghof" came back into vogue and in 1817 the castle was sold to Louis Michel Gilles. Subsequently it came into the possession of Van de Werve and was used between 1886 and 1891 as an orphanage and in 1903 as home for the "Pères du Très Saint Sacrement". Finally, it is owned by L. Fierens (1919) who placed Walter Pompe's Apelles statue here, J. Moorkens (1926) and the Breugelmans family. Around 1950 the castle was uninhabited and in poor condition, but was restored shortly afterwards by the Breugelmans family. A dirt road leads over a flat anchored natural stone bridge with two round arches to the entrance gate in rococo style. Symmetrically built castle with northern facade of seven bays and two storeys under complex roofing with a combination of shield and gable roof (slates); from the fourth quarter of the 16th century or early 17th century, rebuilt in the third quarter of the 18th century; arch-shaped wooden roof windows.