Boekesteyn, Historic estate in 's-Graveland, Netherlands
Boekesteyn is an estate near Hilversum featuring a square main house with a tower wing added in the 1920s. The property sits within a landscape of woodland, formal beech tree avenues, and open lawns that create a sense of rural seclusion.
Construction began around 1770 for owner Salomon Dedel, replacing an earlier house from 1634 built by merchant Benedictus Schaeck. The two building phases reflect changing tastes and needs of successive landowners across more than a century.
The gardens transformed from geometric French designs with symmetrical ponds to an English landscape style with natural water features in the 1800s.
A visitor centre manages the grounds and is housed in a historic farmhouse that focuses on local history and nature. The best way to experience the property is to walk at a leisurely pace, gradually discovering different sections of the gardens and woodlands.
The basement spaces served as the filming location for kitchen scenes in a popular Dutch television series that aired from 1955 to 1975. This connection between a historic estate and television production reveals an unexpected chapter in the property's more recent past.
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