Teylingen Castle South Holland

The castle is a ruin of a round water stronghold dating from the early 13th century. The castle, which was the original residence of the Lords of Teylingen, served as protection for the Rhine dike and the road to the city of Haarlem . In 1282 the fief fell to the Counts of Holland because the Lords of Teylingen had no direct heirs. The keep, which is part of the round defence wall, dates from this period. Later the castle functioned as a hunting lodge and a forester's residence for the Counts of Holland. The most famous forester was Countess Jacoba van Beieren, who resided there during the last years before her death. She died there on October 9, 1436.

During the 80 Years War, especially during the period from 1572 to 1574, the castle was heavily damaged. In 1605 restoration commenced. Around 1614 the residential tower was restored and a more comfortable residence was built in front. In 1676 the roof of the keep was destroyed in a fire. Ever since the keep and the defence wall were left in disrepair. Until the occupation of The Netherlands by the French, the castle kept its function of a forester's residence.

In 1801 the castle and the surrounding buildings were sold, with the stipulation that the keep and the defence wall couldn't be demolished. In 1857 two squires Van Teylingen (no direct descendants) bought the remaining parts at a public auction.
The ruins once again became property of the state in 1888. After this the preservation of the castle was mainly aimed at consolidation.

In 1975 the Castle Teylingen Foundation was founded. One of the aims of this foundation is to make the ruins a living element in the Bulb Area in The Netherlands once again. At the initiative of this foundation the partially filled in moat was dug out and the entrance bridge was reconstructed.