On the western slope of the Anstel Valley near Kerkrade stands the impressive farmstead Nieuw Ehrenstein. The square shape of the country estate and its surrounding farm can be seen from all sides. Thanks to many years of extensive restoration by the ‘Stichting het Limburgs Landschap’ foundation, the complex has been preserved.
History
Contrary to what the distinctive villa would suggest at first glance, Nieuw Ehrenstein was originally a farmhouse. It was built in 1753 as a tenant farm of Erenstein Castle. The anchor plates showing the building date can still be seen on the southern façade of the shed. Hendrik Poyck, owner of the surrounding lands, commissioned the farm in the eighteenth century. He named the farm after the nearby castle. In 1808, the widow Corneli purchased the complex. Her son carried out major renovations as he wanted to live there after his wedding in 1839. He demolished the original dwelling on the farm and replaced it with the impressive country manor. The villa was built in a style that was popular in South Limburg in the first half of the nineteenth century. This family remained the owners of Nieuw Ehrenstein until 1921, when the Waelen family bought the property, including 65 hectares of land for their farming business. The villa was converted into residential houses for two farming families. The third family converted part of the stable to live in. A considerable amount of damage was caused by subsidence of the mines. After the farm was sold in 1967, part of it remained in use but it started to fall into disrepair. From 2004 onwards, the buildings were vacant and fell into disrepair. This remained so until the Limburgs Landschap Foundation purchased the complex in 2015 and started on its extensive restoration.
The Nieuw Ehrenstein farmstead is comprised of the 22-person Villa as well as three 6-person holiday homes created in the west wing: the Remise, the Peëdssjtal, and the Kowsjtal.
The Remise used to serve as a coach house, a workshop, and a forge where carriages and carts were stored and serviced.
Indoors
As soon as you enter the inner courtyard, you’ll find the Remise on your left-hand side and it is the first property in the row of three. When you go through the doorway shared by both the Remise and the Peëdssjtal, you enter the inviting kitchen and the living area where the use of natural materials and the property’s authentic character are immediately tangible. The open kitchen is equipped with a dishwasher, a fridge with freezer, a five-zone induction hob, a combination oven, a kettle, and a Nespresso machine that makes a delicious cup of coffee. The country-style living area instantly feels welcoming with its warm and cosy ambiance. A wood burner has been installed in the old forge fireplace where you and your group can relax and spend time together. An interesting fact is that there is also a toilet with floral patterned tiles on the ground floor. These tiles were found in the old toilet on top of the slurry pit during redevelopment and were reused during the renovations.
The stairs take you to the upper floor that was originally a hayloft. On this floor are two double bedrooms, each with its own en-suite bathroom. One of these bedrooms also gives you access to a loft room that contains two single beds.
Outdoors
The private patio is situated adjacent to the fruit orchard where sheep from the nearby sheep fold graze for a few weeks per year.
You can easily combine your stay with breakfast, lunch, or dinner or complete catering from Brasserie Nieuw Ehrenstein. The brasserie is located in the other side wing of the farm.
Limburg Landscape Foundation (Stichting het Limburgs Landschap)
If you regularly donate to the foundation, please mention this when booking. You will then get a 5% discount on the base rental price. This offer is not valid in combination with other discounts. Thanks to its rental income, the Limburg Landscape Foundation is able to maintain listed holiday homes and support the goals of Limburg Landscape.
