Castle of RIJKEL activation BCA LB-122 WCA ON-01153

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We will be using my call ON5BWE\p during this activation.
QSL via via bureau to home call ON5BWE.
Date 19/07/2014 starting around 06u00 local time on 80m SSB and going to 40m and higher acording the conditions.

The castle is situated in the district of Rijkel near Borgloo, in the Belgian province of Limburg.
Rijkel castle was the residence of the lords of Rijkel, one knight Renerus the Ryckle mentioned is the oldest (1253).
From the second half of the 14th century is the glory in the possession of the family of Bolle Rijkel, a bastard of the Knights of Gelinden.
The castle was at that time a manor farm, listed in 1541 as des Joncker Ryckels Hoeff .
The house of this farm was preserved and flanked by stepped gables southeastern part of the castle, with late Gothic core from the second half of the 16th century.
However, the overall appearance dates from the first half of the 17th century. This is the oldest part of the castle.


In the first quarter of the 17th century Rijkel comes through marriage in the possession of the family Hinnisdael, lords of Sint-Pieters-Horne.
In the second quarter of the 17th century, a major building campaign, gave the castle its present appearance the U-shaped.
The old mansion whose facades were adapted to the style of the new buildings is included in the east wing.
The north and west wings are built slightly later (third quarter 17th century), probably by Adrien-François de Hinnisdael († 1674), see the coat of arms above the entrance gate in the north wing.


In the first half of the 18th century renovations are carried out, probably when it comes castle of Baron Pierre Antoine de Thiribu.
The castle is mentioned in this period to be in a very poor condition. It is being restored again.
The cross and monastery frames in limestone frame in the old house and the other wings date from this restoration work.
In 1785, the drawbridge was removed and the lattices of almost the entire ground floor windows will be replaced by the current, rectangular windows in checkered frame.
The largest portion of the canal seems already disappeared when drafting the Ferraris map (1771-77).
A new door is created on the east side, as is apparent from the drawing of Ph. the Corswarem (circa 1800); the door with triangular pediment in the east wing is the new entrance, which provides access to the stairwell.


In the first half of the 19th century, the angled wings are extended southwards, see Atlas of Local Roads (1844).
In the same period (first quarter of the 19th century), the lower windows of the north facade of the central wing of the original sandstone cross-frames replaced by the current, rectangular windows in limestone frames
This corresponds to rebuild the structure of the underlying hall in neo-classical style.


Anne Marie de Tiribu was the last inhabitant of the castle. After the death of Marie de Tiribu in 1831 the castle almost a century remains uninhabited.
Already in the second half of the 19th century the castle became dilapidated. Almost all interior elements are lost in this period.
In 1936 acquires the association / ASBL Les Demeures historiques de Belgique the building.
They carried out the most necessary repairs. In 1965 the castle was transferred to the Province of Limburg.
The collapse of the northwest corner tower in 1966 led to the final restoration, begun in 1972.
The castle is back in private hands since 2003.

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