In an otherwise unassuming park in Lede, Belgium, there are the crumbling ruins of a once-stately castle. The Castle of Mesen has stood here since the 1600s, and was initially a home for nobility. Later on, it was converted into an industrial site, a sugar refinery, a gin distillery and a tobacco factory.
In 1897, the property was bought by a religious order who added a neo-Gothic chapel and turned the space into a girls’ boarding school. It was used exclusively by aristocratic families who had lost their historic money.
The castle through the ages, from the 19th century to its state today.
The school remained functional until the late 1960s, after which it was abandoned. Not only was it left to the elements, but it was also looted. Some people in Lede attempted to get the castle designated as a landmark, but the plans fell through. Reconstruction was also considered, but the decades’ worth of damage meant repairs would have cost the city a considerable amount of money. Finally, the decision was made to demolish the castle.
Luckily, there will be a record of the castle. Photographer and urban explorer Jan Stel, who catalogues his adventures on Past Glory, crept in for some last snapshots of the castle. He captured the fallen roof, now open to the sky, the stained glass in the chapel, and the foliage that has grown over the floors and walls.
The decaying state makes the estate even more beautiful. It’s a shame that it won’t be around for much longer.
Today, the castle is in the process of being demolished, and you can actually see the construction equipment and the skeletal remains of the Castle of Mesen on Google Earth. You can also see more of Stel’s series on the castle here.
