Egelborg Castle

Egelborg House is a listed moated castle at Beikelort 95 in Legden, a municipality in the Borken district of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The complex is located about one kilometer west of Legden town center. It was first mentioned in a document in 1389.

Originally, the complex was located on two islands. Today, the outer bailey and the main house, surrounded by two moats, stand on a common plot of land. The complex was owned by the Lords of Billerbeck from the 14th to the 17th century. Afterwards, it passed to the Barons of Oer. The oldest still existing building is the north wing. It was built in 1559 with an octagonal stair tower in the style of the Dutch Renaissance. An old west wing was demolished in 1710 and replaced by the baroque building that still exists today by 1713. The central axis is emphasized by a risalit and a roof turret. A curved, double-flight open staircase leads to the portal. The original symmetry was lost due to the later extension by two window axes. The half-timbered building that still exists today was erected in 1767. This coach house may have been built from the demolition material of a brickworks; at that time, the reuse of building material was common. The brick gate pillars, each adorned with lions bearing coats of arms, also date from the Baroque period. The lions show the coats of arms of the von der Recke and von Oer families. The still preserved residential and stable building south of the moat was erected in 1832. The entire outer bailey was renovated in the Neo-Gothic style in 1866. A partly two-story stable extension was added in 1901. The mill located north of the castle complex was renovated in 1907; it still regulates the water level of the moats today.