Hackfort Castle

Hackfort Castle is a historic Dutch estate located in Vorden, within the province of Gelderland. Its origins date back to 1324 when the Lord of Bronckhorst commissioned the initial structure, with records from 1392 describing it as a house featuring an outer bailey and a protective moat. The castle suffered significant destruction in 1586 at the hands of Spanish troops during the Eighty Years' War but was rebuilt in 1598 by Borchard van Westerholt. A major architectural transformation occurred in 1788 under Borchard Frederic Willem van Westerholt, who modernized the façade with large windows and shutters while demolishing the gatehouse to create an unobstructed view. These renovations also involved filling in the original moat, altering the medieval defensive layout into a more symmetrical country residence surrounded by forests and meadows.

The property boasts a rich lineage of ownership, passing from the Van Bronckhorst family to the Van Raesfelt clan before settling with the Van Westerholt barons for several centuries. Following the death of the last individual heir, Lady Sannie van Westerholt, in 1981, full ownership transferred to Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, the Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments. Today, the castle stands as a preserved cultural landmark managed by this organization. The estate includes the historic watermill of Hackfort and serves as a testament to the region's architectural evolution and noble history, maintaining its grounds as a blend of natural beauty and heritage conservation.