The first traces of occupation date back to the 6th century. The remains of wooden constructions deep below the ground and bone pits discovered during archeological research in the 80s, bear witness to this.
Moreover, during these excavations at the inner court, called the “Warande”, the remains of an 8th century Roman tower were discovered. During the park’s reconstruction, a water garden was constructed to mark the site.
According to a legend, “’t Hooghuys” lies at the origin of the current town centre of Berlaar. The inhabitants did not agree about the location of the new church. A bear was set loose on the domain. Wherever it took a rest, the church had to be built. This reference to bears can be found in the name of “Berlaar” , as well as in the town coat of arms, which is based upon the escutcheon of the Berthout family, who already owned the territory of Berlaar in the 13th century.
Centuries later, “’t Hooghuys” was a U-shaped castle surrounded by a moat with a wall and a (draw)bridge. This could already be deduced from the Ferraris map (1771) and a couple of old engravings. When during the years 1570-1585 the surroundings became prey to several army gangs, this once impressive estate was not spared. Once reconstructed, it was scourged by fires in the 18th century. Currently, just one wing has been saved. It is 15m long, 6 m wide and as much as 14 m high. It is thanks to this, for that time, exceptional height that the castle owns its current name.
From the many authentic ornaments, such as gothic fireplaces, doorways, corbels and beam supports, and the paintings dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, we can deduct that this wing, and thus the original castle, must have been built around 1460. On a corbel in the Knights’ Hall on the ground floor, the inscription “1523” can be found, possibly a date of sale or reconstruction by the Hubert De Plaines family, whose coat of arms can be found in the great hall on the first floor. The building in front rests on the basement and was also constructed out of Spanish stone. The year on the stepped gable is 1627.
In 1760, a northern wing was built, whose foundation rests in the moat. The beautiful 15th century gothic fireplace presumably originates from the part scourged by fire. The lean-to shed also dates from the middle of the 18th century. “‘t Hooghuys” enjoyed “dovecote rights” , which were reserved for the nobility and abbeys. The still present pigeon-holes bear witness to this. Up to 1795, the domain measured about 60 hectares.
The oldest known mention of Berlaar can be found in a charter of 29th January 1236 called “Apud Berlar”. This charter mentions several gifts in quick succession by Gilles II, the then Lord of Berlaer. In just a week’s time, he gives a lot of his possessions to the abbey of Roosendaal and he founds an abbey in Vremde, which is agreed upon the same day by Wouter Berthout, Lord of Mechelen. Why this urgency ? Several sources, amongst which the eminent historian Raymond De Groodt, confirm that during the early Middle Ages, “‘t Hooghuys”, then known as the “berlaer fortress”, and the “huus op ten berch” (literally, “house on the hill”) must have been the scene of battle for tournaments and pageantry. This can also be deduced from the names of the fields surrounding “‘t Hooghuys”: “warande” (pleasure grounds), “ommekensvelden” (parade grounds), “doelvelden” (archery grounds), ... In all probability, Gilles II Berthout was fatally wounded during one of those tournaments and gave away his possessions as an “indulgence”.
The history of “‘t Hooghuys" is far from complete. We have found documents stating occupation by a monastic order, sentence would have been passed and executed here, during the French Revolution, an army unit was located here,…The more research is done and consulted archives divulge their secrets, we will complete this text. However, no one will dispute the fact that “’t Hooghuys” is a special witness of our Flemisch cultural heritage, and of Berlaar in particular.
