The second restoration campaign (2016-2023)

In 2016, the Van der Meer family took over the castle estate and launched a second restoration campaign. While the first campaign focused primarily on restoring structural elements and utilities, the second focused on restoring the interior and adapting the castle for new functions, including car restoration in the southern tithe barn.

A new bridge, inspired by the historic northern bridge, was constructed to access the southern wing. A lane flanked by Japanese cherry trees leads from the bridge to the entrance of the tithe barn.

The tithe barn itself was completely restored and refurbished: interior walls were removed, while the historic Gothic arches were preserved. To maximize the use of the 14-meter-high space, a traditional half-timbered mezzanine floor was installed, with oak mezzanine floors on the first and second levels. The roof was fully insulated and finished with poplar cladding, and high-performance glass was installed in the 44 windows. An insulated floor with underfloor heating in polished concrete was installed on the ground floor.

In addition to the tithe barn, the east wing of the castle, the park landscaping with new trees, and the conservatory were also fully restored and restored to their former glory.

The second restoration campaign was completed in the spring of 2023, making Veulen Castle ready for a new phase as a vibrant heritage site where living, working, and culture converge.

photo gallery: Restoration 2016 - 2022

Challenges & Techniques

The current owners are passionate about the potential of renewable energy and aim to transform the historic building into an energy-efficient structure. They cherish the vision of a carbon-neutral passive castle. The key requirement here is that energy-solutions must be integrated in a way that is not visually apparent.

One of the first measures was to reduce the castle's insulated volume. To this end, the 40 cm thick intermediate floor of the attic was insulated.

The single glazing in the historic joinery was replaced wherever possible. As a result, 80% of the glazing has now been replaced with high-efficiency glass whilst retaining the historic joinery.

A biomass installation provides floor heating for the tithe barn and the adjoining buildings. This ensures that the biomass available from the castle woods is used in the most efficient and carbon-neutral way. The wood from a single storm is enough to heat half the building throughout the winter!

Further projects in the pipeline include a solar park and geothermal energy utilising the water volume in the moats.