Nettelhorst ruins Lochem - Lochem

The ruin was originally a 16th-century imposing castle, situated on a real castle island, surrounded by a moat that served as a defence. Yet historians believe that a house bearing the name Nettelhorst stood there as early as 1227. In any case, it was Gijsbert van Nettelhorst who took possession of the fortified house, which it was then, in 1403. Thereafter, the van Heeckeren family took over and the manor house was joined by a hall building with a stair tower, and a moat surrounding the building. Nettelhorst gained castle status when a second moat was built in 1610 and the house was extended with a wing. In the 17th century, the castle was further rebuilt twice.

The Eighty Years' War left many traces in the area where Nettelhorst Castle is located. Nettelhorst, too, did not emerge entirely unscathed from the everlasting battle between the Spaniards and the rebels. But decay set in sometime in the early 19th century. Nettelhorst had not been inhabited for some time. Large parts of the estate were demolished and taken over by the inhabitants of Twickel, a castle from Delden Overijssel.

Only the lower part of the stair tower remains. In 1875, most of the house was demolished except for the stair tower. The stair tower collapsed in 1884 because it had insufficient support.