Castle Day

Teylingen Castle was built by the lords of Teylingen. This family had received the land as a fief from the Count of Holland. When the Teylingen family died out in 1283, the castle came back into the hands of the Count. The then Count of Holland, Floris V, made the castle the administrative centre of the Holland forestry.

In 1329, Simon van Benthem was appointed forester by Floris' successor, Willem IV. What were the tasks of a forester? In addition to - as the job title already reveals - the responsibility for the maintenance of the trees on the land, the forester exercised the hunting rights. This means that the forester was also responsible for the game that was served to the count's family. Game was a permanent fixture on the menu at castles at this time, and in the centuries that followed.

Dirk Drossaat van Brederode was a vassal of the Count of Holland. The Count, Willem I (1168-1222), had given Dirk the right to build a fortified house. This became Brederode Castle. However, this right also entailed obligations. For example, Dirk and his successors were obliged to always grant the Count and his army permission to camp at the castle.

When the Count of Holland visited Brederode Castle, he did not have to pay anything. 'Die lord van Brederode betalende al den cost', according to the count's accounts of 1445. In other words: the Count, at the time Willem IV (1337-1345) did not have to pay for his food and was provided with all conveniences.

Not long afterwards, both the Lord of Brederode and Count William IV were killed on the battlefield at Warns.

In September 1687, the Frenchman François de Jaucourt, Marquis d'Ausson, visited Trompenburgh in the entourage of Prince Philip William of Brandenburg (1669-1711). According to the Marquis, the guests of Cornelis Tromp were received in 'sa cave' (the cellar under the domed hall). A kind of drinking game was played in the cellar. During the toasting, an accident occurred with two small cannons, in which the gunner broke his arm.

In March of the following year, the Brandenburg prince again visited Tromp's country estate in 's-Graveland. Here he was said to have been 'magnifijquelijck gehandeleert' by Tromp. What exactly the prince was served and how the evening went, is unfortunately not known. Perhaps it was comparable to the midday meal that Margaretha van Raephorst, Tromp's wife, served to the queen of Denmark in April 1678. This midday meal consisted of no less than 32 large dishes, 'prepared in the Dutch style' and served by Margaretha herself! This serving was accompanied by music.

Around 1679, Frederik van Baer renovated both Slangenburg Castle and the surrounding park. What is unique is that the kilometres of trapezoidal lane system has been preserved intact. Both ornamental and utility gardens were created. In this way, the useful was combined with the pleasant. A map from 1752 shows that the garden surrounding the castle was largely designed as a utility garden. A utility garden could consist of a vegetable or herb garden, or an orchard.

In 1772, the castle and the Slangenburg estate came into the possession of the Steengracht family. Between 1796 and 1822, a fenced vegetable garden or orchard was created behind the castle.