Kakesbeck Castle

Kakesbeck Castle is one of three moated castles in Lüdinghausen in the district of Coesfeld. It is located five kilometers north of the city center in the rural community of Bechtrup, east of the L835. An external viewing is possible at any time, but an internal viewing of the castle complex must be arranged in advance.

The first documented mention of the name Kakesbeck comes from a register of Werden Abbey and dates back to the 10th century, but it was not until the 11th century that a motte-and-bailey castle, in addition to a manor farm, was verifiable at this location. The foundation stone of the current complex was probably laid at the beginning of the 14th century. Subsequently, its owners gradually expanded the estate. In its heyday, it covered almost one square kilometer and consisted of the core castle and five outer baileys, secured by ramparts and moats.

The original owners of the castle were called von Kakesbeck. This family held the castle as a fief from Werden Abbey. Ownership changed over the centuries through the vogteien of the abbey and passed into the possession of Count Otto von Tecklenburg. He sold it in 1322 to the knight Bernhard von Droste, called Bernd de Droste, who came from the von Wulfheim family, who were originally Drosten zu Dülmen and, since about 1272, Drosten of the episcopal castle in Lüdinghausen, which was called Vischering Castle due to its location. Heidenreich von Oer the Younger married into this family, who then called themselves Droste zu Vischering, around 1385. Under the von Oer family, the manor house was fundamentally redesigned and extended to the east from 1601, for Bernhard von Oer and his wife Margaretha Quadt von Wickrath, using old foundations. A carved year still bears witness to this today. In 1684, the moated castle passed by marriage into the possession of the ancient noble family von der Recke zu Reck from the Mark region, before the Droste zu Vischering acquired the castle in 1738 together with 80 dependent farms.

At the beginning of the 19th century, a fire destroyed most of the upper floor of the manor house. However, the damage was repaired in the following period and the upper floor was rebuilt. The former castle chapel was demolished in 1868.

After the complex came into the ownership of the Bolte family in the mid-20th century, it is now owned by Wilfried Grewing. He initiated excavations under the direction of Alfred Zeischka in cooperation with the State Conservator, during which, among other things, parts of the former ring wall and foundations of an old defensive wall from around the 13th century were found. The castle owner also had the castle completely renovated.