How can they demolish Miranda Castle the most gorgeous fairy tale castle in the world?
In a world where the new, modern, and current are displacing the ancient, historic, and priceless, we appreciate the surviving abandoned romantic ruins even more. You’re probably aware of our modest fixation with magnificent chateaus, those huge castles that stand lonely and abandoned, left to the mercy of nature, and we know that most of you share our sentiments. Miranda Castle is one of these magnificent ruins, the amazing 19th Century neo-Gothic castle in Celles, province of Namur, Belgium, the gorgeous chateau that has charmed us from the first snapshot we saw of her years ago.The castle was erected in 1866 by the English architect Edward Milner on request from the Liedekerke-De Beaufort family, who had fled their former residence, Vêves Castle, during the French Revolution. Milner, however, died before the castle was built. The clock tower was added in 1907.
Their ancestors were occupied until World War II. A section of the Battle of the Bulge was fought on the land, and the castle was seized by the Nazis during the time.
Miranda Castle was renamed “Château de Noisy” in 1950 after being taken up by the National Railway Company of Belgium (NMBS/SNCB) as an orphanage and vacation camp for ailing children. It operated as a summer camp for youngsters until the late 1970s.
Because the costs of maintaining the castle were too high, and a search for investors in the property failed, the castle has been vacant and fully abandoned since 1991. Although the town of Celles offered to take it over, the family declined, and the massive structure is now (as of 2015) abandoned, succumbing to corrosion and vandalism. A fire severely damaged parts of the building, and numerous pieces of the ceiling are collapsing.
Kenneth Provost of Urbex Photography, who lives in the same county as the collapsing monument and shares our enthusiasm for this beautiful castle, alerted us that the threat of dismantling Noisy Chateau is extremely real.
Although there is no news in English about the castle being demolished, Provost translated a French item that clearly mentions the castle would be razed.
