Lenhausen Castle

Schloss Lenhausen is a protected water castle in Finnentrop, North Rhine-Westphalia. It stands on a site first recorded in 1285 and has been the ancestral home of the von Plettenberg-Lenhausen family since 1457. The medieval core was enlarged in the late 17th century, giving the three-storey stone building its irregular shape and three towers. A date stone shows 1664, and later renovations in 1672–73 and 1874 kept the structure intact. The castle is surrounded by a moat and includes a two-winged farm building dated 1677 and 1880. Inside, the chapel holds a carved altarpiece marked 1678. A new staircase wing was added in 1927, and a full restoration took place between 1974 and 1981. The gatehouse still shows original shot holes and renewed stepped gables. Visitors walk past the moat to reach the main house. The chapel altar and the farm buildings’ dated masonry show the castle’s layered history. Inside, the staircase wing and the restored interiors reflect later changes. The irregular plan and mix of stonework make the building itself a record of seven centuries of use.