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Friday 27 April 2012

A Water Castle in Xanten


A-Z Challenge 2012 - X

A Water Castle in Xanten

When I could find no castle beginning with X in Britain I thought I had fallen three fences from home. In the event I have finished up with a very short post.

Then I remembered the X-files and knew the truth was out there somewhere. Somewhere proved to be the only town in Germany beginning with that elusive X = Xanten.

Engraving of Winnenthal Castle, Xanten - 1746
Haus Winnenthal, also called Burg Winnenthal and Castle Winnenthal at Xanten, Germany is one of the oldest surviving water castles on the lower Rhine. It was probably built in the 14th century. It was partly demolished in the 19th century with the buildings left being used for agricultural purposes. After heavy damage in World War II the manor house was in ruins for a long time before it was rebuilt in the 1980s. Now together with the castle it is a residence for senior citizens.

Burg Winnenthal, Xanten - 2009
Yesterday Helen Melton-Butcher and I had the same W castle - Warkworth Castle, Northumberland
Nevertheless we have chosen different was to tell its story, so if you haven't already you should check it out.

Attributions
  • Engraving of Winnenthal Castle in Xanten 1746, northern aspect; source Theodor Wildemann: Rheinische Wasserburgen. Ges. f. Buchdruckerei, Neuss 1954, S. 17 Author Paul van Liender; after a drawing by Jan de Beijer (1703-1780)
  • Burg Winnenthal in Xanten from the south west -2009; author Franz Vincentz; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

6 comments:

David Robinson said...

Like the way you got inventive with X, Bob. I had some troubles with it, too.

Great post.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. Xanten sounds Chinese, though I note it's in the north Rhineland.

Great post for X though .. and I love its history .. had to look up water castle (surrounded by water or a moat)!!

I love the engraving .. and I really wouldn't mind living there! I almost fit the bill?!

Cheers - love this X post .. and the X files - something is out there .. great - Hilary

Luanne G. Smith said...

Hey, sometimes we gotta go on a journey abroad to fulfill the quest. Glad you didn't fall three fences short of home.

Jo said...

Way to go Bob.

Jenni Steel said...

Clever idea Bob and very interesting too.

Both you and Hilary have done extremely well.

Jenni

ah2bahn said...

I live there from the summer of 1989 to the summer of 1990 and it was unbelievable especially the old wine cellar.