Slotbosse tower | Ruins of Strijen - Oosterhout

Strijen Castle was built in 1289. William IV had bought the land on the border of the county of Holland and the dukedom of Brabant. He built a castle with an outer bailey and a moat.

In 1325, the Dutch nobleman Willem van Duvenvoorde, then one of the most powerful and richest men of the Low Countries, bought the land and rebuilt the castle. A second moat was added and new buildings were constructed.

By now, only a corner of the castle's main tower remains. The tower is 26 metres high, enough for six floors. Underneath is a basement. On the inside, you can see remains of windows, gun slots, a vault and a fireplace with a chimney. Since 1974, the area around the tower has been subject to archaeological excavations. The archaeologists found part of the moat and a lot of pottery from the 14th century, including a floor tile depicting a deer in yellow sludge.

Photo: Lieske Meima via Zuiderwaterline.nl