Castle**Kasteel ** Diepensteyn at Steenhuffel-Brabant-Belgium

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Diepensteyn Castle is an old medieval moated castle that has been rebuilt several times over the centuries. It is located in Steenhuffel, a sub-municipality of Londerzeel in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant.
From fief to county
The castle and the nearby village were owned in the 13th century by the Lords of Bouchout, with Diepensteyn serving as the center of the seigniory. Initially it was a fief of the Duchy of Brabant; in 1685 it became the center of a county belonging to the Counts of Maldeghem. The last inhabitants left the castle after the French Revolution.
Various construction phases
Diepensteyn Castle at the beginning of the 18th century (illustration from “Groot werreldlyk tooneel des hertogdoms van Braband” – 1730)
In 1147, a wooden watchtower was erected on the site by Wouter van Craynhem, later known as van Wange and subsequently van Bouchout, as part of the defensive line of the House of Brabant. In 1290 the watchtower was replaced by a stone keep with a wooden palisade. In 1357 the moated castle was completed, and in 1460 it was expanded with a new gatehouse and a drawbridge.
The castle wall was demolished in 1517 and a pleasure castle with a new bridge was built; this was rebuilt in 1616 and expanded with a gallery. The gatehouse, carriage house, and stables date from 1675, while the original keep and several outbuildings were demolished in 1719. In 1825 a significant part of the complex was demolished, namely the gatehouse, carriage house, and stables, and the surrounding ponds and moats were filled in. The remaining castle wing dates from the 17th century. In 1960 a residential house was attached to this remaining wing.
Contemporary reconstruction
In 1980 the historic building was protected and recognized as a monument of immovable heritage. Since 1989 the castle has been owned by NV Diepensteyn. At the time, the company was affiliated with Palm Brewery and was responsible for the restoration and reconstruction of the castle between 1993 and 1995.
As part of the restoration, a pond was once again created around the castle, together with a landscaped garden park. The company—since the takeover of the brewery by the Swinkels Group, now a fully autonomous enterprise—has carried out additional renovation works since 2018, which have mainly given the keep a more Venetian appearance.