In the summer of 1371 Willem van den Woude started the construction of a fortified house with a surrounding moat in the Riederwaard-polder. At the eastern half a tall keep consisting of 3 floors was planned, but only one floor was realized. The living quarters at the western half were only ground level.

Due to floods in 1373 and 1375, the whole area around Ridderkerk drowned and the Riederwaard-polder was lost. When Hugo Willemsz van den Woude, who had succeeded his father in 1373, died in around 1399, the land with the remains of the castle were still lying in the water. After his death the family van den Woude lost possession of the castle but the family name stuck.

At the beginning of the 15th century people started to restore some parts of the Riederwaard-polder but not the area in which the castle was situated. In 1418 they started to repair and heighten the walls, in advance of restoring the polder area in which the castle lay. But in the same year the troops of the Hoeken pulled down the walls to prevent usage by their enemy; the Kabeljauwen.

Then, in 1421 the flood of Saint-Elizabeth came which covered the remains of the castle with a thick layer of silt. In 1441 the Riederwaard-polder was restored but the castle was never finished.

In 1968 the castle was "discovered" again after studying a map made in 1570, which showed the position of the castle. From 1969 until 1972 excavations were carried out. The moat and walls were partially reconstructed.
The original dimensions of the castle are supposed to have been 15 x 20 meters. The exact dimensions are not known because the northern area of the castle is now situated beneath a dike.

I visited the castle in 1999 and 2004. The pictures in which the walls look dark are from 1999, the lighter ones are from 2004.

Location and contact information

At Ringdijk near nr. 210-212 in Ridderkerk. Freely accessible.

Huis te Woude Castle Links

• Hollandse Kastelenteam
• Kastelen in Zuid-Holland
• Mathieu in Wonderland
• Castles on the Web

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