Château de Noisy to be demolished / Newry Man Lost
CHATEAU de NOISY TO BE DEMOLISHED
It comes as very sad news that we discover the beautiful and historical Château de Noisy
Earlier in the year I boarded a flight to Brussels and hired a car to go in search of the legendary Castle Miranda in the heart of the Belgian country side. After a drive of over 100 KM cross country we arrived at our rendezvous point where we packed our gear and headed on foot to the fabled Castle. The walk took us to the beginning of the forest where we encountered a hill climb that we could only describe as Heartbreak ridge and it resembled something from a Navy Seal’s training camp. We ventured further on or lung busting path and finally reached the clearing in the trees, much to our surprise out of nowhere the magnificent Castle Miranda appeared in front of our very eyes and we soon forgot the arduous task it took to get us there. We spent the day trying to capture this fantastic building and I also took time to reflect and try to imagine what it must have looked like in its heyday.
During the French revolution the Count Liedekerke-Beaufort and his family fled their home to a secluded farm in the forest on the outskirts of the village of Celles in 1792. Edward Milner the English architect was commissioned in 1866 by the Count to design and build a castle on the land after the ending of the revolution.
The castle was designed with many Neo Gothic features including conical roofs, a multitude of towers and over 400 windows. Milner’s untimely death left the castle unfinished and the French architect Pelchner was called upon to finish the construction with the once beautiful clock tower being completed in 1903.
The castle was occupied by German forces during the Ardennes offensive in WWII and was no stranger to battle. By 1950 the National Railway company of Belgium turned the castle in to a holiday camp for sick children who would benefit from the fresh air, healthy food and excellent facilities. It was at this time they decided to change the name to Chateau de Noisy.
In the 1990’s and due to the rising costs of maintenance and refurbishment the owners began to search for investors with the desire to transform the Château into a hotel. The plans failed and Château de Noisy was abandoned in 1991 and left to its own demise. Despite the municipality of Celles making an offer to take it over, the family has refused.
