Wood research into Slangenburg Castle reveals surprising construction dates
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Recent dendrochronological research into the roof structure of Slangenburg Castle has provided unexpected insights into the construction history of the iconic castle in Doetinchem.
First exploration
In January 2024, an initial exploration took place, in which it was investigated whether dendrochronological research - dating wood - would be possible at Slangenburg Castle . It soon became apparent that the roof of the castle was much more complex than expected. Building historian Jeroen van der Werf of Monumentenbezit recorded his findings in the article De hashtag van Van Baer: a building history investigation at Slangenburg Castle , which formed the basis for a structured drilling plan.
Start of the dendrochronological research
On March 18, 2025, Paul Borghaerts of Borghaerts Houtdatering started taking and analyzing wood samples at Slangenburg Castle. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) supported the research with a grant. The results were surprising: not a single wood sample appeared to be older than 1651. This sheds new light on the question of whether the castle was actually rebuilt during the Twelve Years' Truce (1609-1621), as was long assumed.
Different wings, different construction phases
The results provide a clearer picture of the phased construction of the castle. The wood in the roof on the right wing was cut in 1651-1652, that in the middle section in 1688-1690 – which corresponds to the major renovation by Frederik Johan van Baer – and that in the roof on the left wing in 1710-1711, just before Van Baer's death in 1713. The wood was generally incorporated into the construction one to two years after it was cut. These dates help to better reconstruct the story of Slangenburg Castle.
Results
On March 28, Jeroen van der Werf presented the results during the Bouwhistorisch Platform of the RCE. An extensive article about the research, the surprising answers and the new questions that this raises will be published in the 2024 Annual Report. The history of Slangenburg Castle turns out to be more complex - and fascinating - than ever thought.
