Wasserburg Redinghoven

The site presents as a waterbound manorial complex laid out along a north–south axis, with the main house set within a larger courtyard and an outer fore-castle containing economic buildings. The principal house is built of red-brown brick and comprises several linked building units, an older, longer block and a somewhat shorter, later addition. The whole complex remains closely tied to a surrounding water system, with the moat still fed by the nearby Rotbach and wrapping round the east, south and west sides of the manor while the northern watercourse terminates a short distance from the house.

The approach follows a partly paved avenue known locally as the Birkenallee, which leads from the north past a statue of Saint John of Nepomuk to the gatehouse. The gatehouse bears an alliance coat of arms carved and dated 1741 above its arch, marking the combined heraldry of the Redinghoven and von Wymar families. Archaeological works during shaft excavation revealed beam fragments interpreted as remains of a former drawbridge that once spanned the moat at the gate.

Water-defence features are archaeologically confirmed and historically documented. The moat construction is continuous on three sides and connects with the Rotbach, while associated ditch channels linked the castle to neighbouring farmsteads, notably the Steprather Hof and the Winrich-Kochs estate; those external ditches were filled in during the 1970s to permit changed land use. An early nineteenth‑century cadastral map records the broader pattern of fortification ditches and multiple fortified sites across Friesheim.

The manor’s external fabric preserves distinctive masonry and roofing details. The north-facing façades step back into gables above the upper floors, and sandstone was used for selected window surrounds and some corner stones. The slate roof carries several dormer windows—three on the east front and two each on the south and west—while the ensemble is fitted with twenty-eight sash windows that have been reassembled to follow the historic pattern. Entrances are concentrated along the northwest side, accessed from the economy-buildings–enclosed courtyard by an ascending arched bridge.

Below ground, foundations extend roughly 1.5 metres into the substratum, and the cellar storey rises above the waterline to form a plinth-like base. Vaulted cellar rooms survive, and some retain recessed apertures interpreted as firing slits. The original masonry is largely concealed beneath later applied plaster. Inside, upper floors are linked by timber staircases and the floor and ceiling structure uses heavy beams and planks; portions of the ceiling preserve the traditional Cologne-style beam-and-panel construction known as Cologne ceilings.

The outbuildings around the fore-castle are of later date and have seen changed use. One south wing has been adapted for residential occupation while the remaining wings continue in agricultural service. The ensemble is the most complete fortified complex documented in the village, with many of its principal defensive and domestic elements still identifiable in situ. Historical plans and sketches from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries supply additional evidence for the arrangement of fortifications and waterworks that survive today.