Clan Rising
Castle Brederode today

Netherlands · Ruin

Castle Brederode

Ruïne van Brederode

Brederode Castle is a medieval brick castle founded in the 13th century near Santpoort-Zuid in the Netherlands. It was rebuilt in the mid-14th century and later damaged in the 15th–16th centuries; the surviving structure today is a conserved ruin and national monument.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1300

Its prime

1400

Today

Ruin

As it stood in 1400

What Castle Brederode looked like in its prime.

A compact medieval castle of red brick set within a water-filled moat and low earthen outer bank. The composition centres on a tall rectangular multi-storey keep with vertical window openings and a battlemented parapet, attached to ranges of brick curtain walls and shorter tower-like buttresses. A narrow wooden bridge on piles leads from the outer bank to a gateway in the curtain. Surrounded by low trees and grass, walls show regular courses of brick and openings at multiple levels.

Its story

The story of Castle Brederode.

Brederode Castle was founded in the second half of the 13th century by William I van Brederode (1215–1285), a descendant of the lords van Teylingen, kin to the counts of Holland. The high lordship of Brederode had been given in loan to the lords of Brederode by the count of Holland; the name recalls the Brede Roede, the "broad wood" cleared for its building. At first no more than a tower, it was pulled down around 1300 by Dirk II van Brederode and replaced with a proper castle.

During the Hook and Cod wars the Brederodes stayed loyal to Margaret of Bavaria, and the castle was besieged in 1351. By treaty the Lord of Brederode made his peace with Count William, receiving a yearly allowance of 350 pounds while his lands lay under sequester; after the reconciliation of 1354 the castle was rebuilt, though the family had by then moved its main seat to Batestein Castle.

In 1579 Holland loaned the lordship to a side branch of the van Brederodes, and when Wolfert van Brederode, last lord of Brederode, died in 1679, the ruins passed to the States of Holland and the Dutch Republic. Damaged in the 15th and 16th centuries, the brick castle survives near Santpoort-Zuid as a conserved ruin and national monument.

Step inside

8 places to explore in 1400.

The record describes 8 distinct spots at Castle Brederode, including 1 interior: gatehouse entrance passage. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach over the moat by wooden bridgeOuter moat and rounded earthwork bankFace of the curtain wall and lower rangesGatehouse entrance passageBase and façade of the main keepKeep battlements and rooftop outlookInner bailey looking toward the keepSouthern range viewed from the courtyard

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Whose castle

Clans who held Castle Brederode.

The families that held Castle Brederode for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Brederode

    Held by the lords van Brederode from the castle's 13th-century founding until Wolfert van Brederode, last lord of Brederode, died in 1679.

Nearby

Landmarks within reach of Castle Brederode.

Zaanse Schans, NetherlandsMuseumZaanse Schans14 km awayVondelkerk, NetherlandsChurchVondelkerk18 km awayVan Gogh Museum, NetherlandsMuseumVan Gogh Museum19 km away

Questions about Castle Brederode

What is the history of Castle Brederode?

Castle Brederode was founded in the second half of the 13th century by William I van Brederode. Around 1300, Dirk II van Brederode replaced its original tower with a proper castle. It was besieged and badly damaged in 1351, rebuilt after reconciliation in 1354, and later plundered and burned. Since the 19th century, the surviving ruin has undergone government restoration.

What is inside Castle Brederode?

Inside Castle Brederode, the documented interior includes the gatehouse entrance passage. The ruin also has an inner bailey looking towards the keep, and the donjon can be climbed. The site is presented as an open-air exhibition with information about the castle and the lords of Brederode.

Why was Castle Brederode built, and what was it used for?

Castle Brederode was built as a lordly castle for the lords van Brederode, whose high lordship had been granted by the count of Holland. Its role later changed: after the 1354 rebuilding it was no longer used as living space, but remained a strategically important base for the Hook faction. It has been uninhabited since 1492.

Where is Castle Brederode?

Castle Brederode is near Santpoort-Zuid, in Velsen, in the Netherlands. It stands among low trees and grass, within a water-filled moat and a low earthen outer bank. The nearest named settlement in the supplied material is Santpoort-Zuid.

When was Castle Brederode built?

Castle Brederode was first founded in the second half of the 13th century. Its original tower was pulled down around 1300, when Dirk II van Brederode replaced it with a proper castle. The castle was rebuilt again after the 1354 reconciliation between the Brederodes and the counts of Holland.

Was Castle Brederode ever attacked or besieged?

Castle Brederode was besieged in 1351 by Gijsbrecht van Nijenrode, who supported the Cod faction, and surrendered by treaty on 23 October. It was so badly damaged afterwards that it was demolished. In 1426, the Cod faction destroyed its southern part, and in 1573 Spanish soldiers plundered and burned it after the Siege of Haarlem.

Which family or clan held Castle Brederode?

Castle Brederode was held by the lords van Brederode from its 13th-century founding until Wolfert van Brederode, the last lord of Brederode, died in 1679. In that year, the ruins passed to the States of Holland and the Dutch Republic.

What did Castle Brederode look like in its prime?

Castle Brederode was a compact medieval red-brick castle surrounded by a water-filled moat and low earthen bank. Its centre was a tall rectangular, multi-storey keep with vertical window openings and battlemented parapet, attached to curtain walls and shorter tower-like buttresses. A narrow wooden bridge on piles led to the gateway, while brick openings appeared at several levels.

Is Castle Brederode still standing, or is it a ruin?

Castle Brederode survives as a conserved ruin and national monument. The castle was badly damaged in the 15th and 16th centuries, including the destruction of its southern part in 1426 and the fire of 1573. It was rebuilt after 1354, and the government restored the ruins in the 19th century, but the present structure remains a ruin.

Who built Castle Brederode?

Castle Brederode was commissioned by William I van Brederode. Around 1300, Dirk II van Brederode had the original tower pulled down and replaced with a proper castle. No architect is identified in the supplied material.

Can you visit Castle Brederode?

Castle Brederode can be visited as an open-air exhibition. Visitors can see information about the castle and the lords of Brederode, and the donjon can be climbed. The site also serves as a wedding venue and has occasional activities themed around knights and the Middle Ages.

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