Abandoned romantic ruins are becoming more and more treasured in a world where the new, modern, and current are gradually replacing the old, historic, and precious. Most of you undoubtedly already know about our mild obsession with grand chateaus, the enormous castles that stand alone and abandoned, left to the mercy of nature. One of these beautiful ruins is Miranda Castle, a neo-Gothic marvel from the 19th century located in Celles, Namur Province, Belgium. We’ve been in love with this beautiful chateau ever since we first laid eyes on a photograph of her.
For the Liedekerke-De Beaufort family, who had to abandon Vêves Fortress during the French Revolution, the English architect Edward Milner built this castle in 1866. Unfortunately for the castle’s construction, Milner passed away beforehand. The tower with the clock was built in 1907.
Since 1991, when its upkeep costs became unaffordable and attempts to attract investors to the site ultimately failed, the castle has stood empty and uninhabited. The town of Celles offered to take over the large edifice in 2015, but the family turned down the offer. Since then, the building has been left to deteriorate in the elements and acts of vandalism. As a result of the fire, large sections of the ceiling have collapsed. The information comes from Kenneth Provost. The prospect of destroying Noisy Chateau was brought to our attention by Kenneth Provost of Urbex Photography, who lives in the same county as the crumbling landmark and shares our appreciation for this wonderful castle. Kenneth Provost is the original author. Provost translated a French piece that stated the castle will be demolished, even though there was no such report in English.
Author: Kenneth Provost;
Beginning in July 2015, the building’s owner, Liedekerke Beaufort County, was in possession of a demolition permit. Alain Maes, who works with the Aresno Association to protect Noisy Castle, says, “I was genuinely startled when I found out about this.” The information has been totally disregarded… The recommendations of the official representative from the Walloon Region designated to investigate the situation were adopted by Houyet College. We adopted the proper stance in such cases as security, for example. Keep in mind that this is not government land and that there have been countless invasions… The mayor, Yvan Petit, said, “We have taken protections” (PS).
Anyone breaking into the Castle at this point does so at great personal risk, as it is in a dangerous state of disrepair. This is why the owner started knocking things down two years ago. The information comes from Kenneth Provost. Mayor Yvan Petit says, “We’ve taken safeguards” (PS). Those who choose to enter the Castle without permission do so at their own risk, as it is now in a dangerous state of disrepair. And that’s why the owner kicked off the demolition process two years ago. The information comes from Kenneth Provost.
The estimated cost of restoration, however, is between 15 and 25 million euros. After that, ASBL started looking for individual investors interested in transforming the building into a hotel with a restaurant. Despite this, reports indicate that two years later, the County still hasn’t received a significant strategy. The Walloon Region now provides superior defenses for the castle. That gives the owner the option of tearing it down if they so choose. Demolition has not yet begun, and in the meantime, we can only pray that someone will take action to save and preserve this wonderful gem.
