Heeswijk Castle (Dutch: Kasteel Heeswijk) is a moated castle near Heeswijk in the Dutch province of North Brabant.
Heeswijk Castle was built on a meander of the small River Aa. The 20th century canalized Aa now flows at some distance of the Castle. However, in the early decades of the 21st century the original bed of the Aa closer to the castle, was restored and now gets enough water. The Aa was crucial for transporting heavy goods between ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Helmond, and perhaps even somewhat higher upstream. This gave an economic reason to build the castle on the river. On the other hand, the Aa was a barrier for east–west movement, especially by armies. This also gave the castle a strategic position, which it would keep for centuries.
Heeswijk Castle (Kasteel Heeswijk)
The main castle has been built on top of an old motte. In the cellar there is a loam layer containing fragments of bog iron and tuff, remnants of the first castle. There are also 14th century wall fragments visible in the cellars. Here the outer walls reach a thickness of three meters. Aboveground most of the main castle is 15th and 16th century, but the semi-circular form of the older parts still betrays its motte origin. The old part has two round towers on the corners, and one old overhanging tower. The bridge leading to the inner courtyard ends on the base of a disappeared square gate tower.
The big round tower, the gallery connected to it, and the armory to which the gallery connects are all nineteenth century additions. This is also the case for the round tower pasted to the eastern façade. Nevertheless, the big tower was built on top of older foundation. Therefore, these additions probably did not enlarge the ground plan of the castle that much, even though they may have made it more square.
Here is a photographic impression of Heeswijk Castle.