Kasteel De Bocht

 castle, mansion / manor house / villa, listed building / architectural heritage, 1790s construction

In the 17th century, two enclosed farmhouses were located here. Furthermore, it is said to have been a hunting pavilion of the Counts of Horne. In 1698 it was listed as a playhouse (country house) and ruined castle. This castle was demolished in 1812 and a classicist castle was built in its place, commissioned by the De Meester-De Betzenbroek family. Resident Jan Frans de Meester de Bocht was mayor of Heindonk from 1818-1881. Around 1855, a neo-Gothic tower was built, for which material from the old church of Boom was used.

In 1941, the castle was sold by the De Meester family to Clement De Rooster, who, among other things, built a bay window to the castle. However, he owed his wealth to collaboration with the occupying forces and, as a result, the castle was expropriated and confiscated after the liberation.

In 1960, the castle estate became the property of the Ministry of Public Works. The castle became vacant and fell into disrepair. In the 1970s, the four-hectare estate was used for sand extraction for the construction of the E19 motorway. This created the pond de Bocht and the water sports area Hazewinkel.

In 1994, the little castle was sold publicly and the new owners had it restored. The almost three-tonne turret was removed from the roof for this purpose and replaced in 2009.