Château d'Aische

Château d’Aische stands in Éghezée, Belgium. A seigneurie at Aische is recorded in 1211. One account describes the castle and the adjoining farm as having origins in the twelfth century, while the principal stone dwelling is generally attributed to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries; other sources characterise the site as a fifteenth‑century castle. These varying datings mark the site as a medieval complex with features added or reworked over several centuries.

The estate remained in the hands of the Refayt family until 1647. In 1648 Aloysio du Bois purchased Aische for 5,400 florins, acquiring it either from the king of Spain or from the Domains. At that time Aloysio du Bois already held the fief of Refail, which included the feudal court of Walhain, an urban mansion in Antwerp, and the castles Kijkuit (Wyneghem) and Zwarte Arend (Deurne).

Ownership passed by marriage to Simon de Neuf through his union with Philippote du Bois d’Aische. The property then passed to Simon de Neuf’s son-in-law, the count Charles Ignace d’Oultremont de Wégimont (1753–1803). Later inheritance brought the estate to Olympe d’Oultremont, who married Baron Ferdinand du Bois de Nevelle.

The castle was enlarged roughly between 1760 and 1780. At the beginning of the nineteenth century parts of the site were partly abandoned. It ceased to be permanently inhabited after 1830 and was uninhabited from 1865. The castle suffered damage during the First World War, and the owners removed portions of the buildings after the conflict. The site is recorded on the Walloon heritage listing.