A Legacy of Ruin

This castle located in Celles, Belgium was once known as Miranda Castle however today sits vacant and decaying. The locals call it Noisy Castle after the children s home that once was housed within the elegant structure. How such a stately home could fall to ruin and despair is similar to how many of Britain's and Frances state homes share, the lose of money in family dynasties. The family that owns Miranda Castle is a once prominent family, Liedekerke-Beaufort. They had been forced to flee France during the French Revolution leaving behind their castle there and settled in Belgium where in 1866 they commissioned the construction of Miranda Castle by one of the most famous English architects named Milner. 

The family lived a life of luxury and prominence for many years to come however with the outbreak of World War II the home was taken over by the National Railway Company of Belgium which turned the home into a children s home for the family of workers. The castle remained in the possession of the company until 1980 when the children s home was closed and the castle returned to its original owners. 

The house has been empty since 1991 due to the lack of financial ability to maintain the aging building. The municipality of Celles, in which the home is located, has offered many times to take Miranda Castle from the family and restore the structure to preserve what many consider one of the last of Belgium's state homes. The family however has refused to this day in hopes of keeping the castle in the family and restoring so that the dynasty may occupy its halls once again. Tragically this has allowed the castle to fall into complete despair and the money required to repair damages is astonishing high that it most likely will never come to pass. The castle has fallen victim to several arson crimes and vandalism with many young locals trashing the building and causing it to fall to the point of beyond repair. The structure will most likely be condemned in years to pass unless the family sells the home to someone who has the money to save it. Miranda Castle is a shadow of a long forgotten era that will crumble till its only a memory and then nothing at all.