The park of Jehay Castle stretches over several acres divided between the leisure gardens, the vegetable garden and the wooded areas. The oldest known illustrations are drawings and engravings from the 18th century by Remacle Leloup. From this period, some hornbeams and avenues of linden or chestnut trees remain. The gardens were completely redesigned by Count Guy van den Steen, the last resident of the castle, in the mid-twentieth century, and feature some characteristics inherited from the Renaissance Italian parks: creation of perspectives, sculptural decor and the importance of water.
Many native, exotic or horticultural trees dot the gardens. About fifteen of them are classified and therefore subject to special protection and conservation measures. Apart from these remarkable trees, bicentennial hornbeams and avenues of old chestnut trees structure the area beautifully.
The trails in the park will take you to an old cooler. Built in the nineteenth century, it was once used to preserve natural ice harvested during the winter.
The bronze sculptures that gracefully decorate the park are works by Count Guy van den Steen. Some, like the nymphs, are evocations of Greco-Roman mythology. The other themes are the fruit of the artist’s imagination or, like Ophélie, references to classical literature.
The site also houses two large vegetable parcels divided into eighteen patches, each dedicated to a type of crop, several beds of aromatic and condiment plants and a orangery built in the nineteenth century.
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