Bauernburg Schwaghof

The Bauernburg Schwaghof stands in the flatlands north of Bad Salzuflen in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia. It formed part of the old Schwaghof estate, once a farm belonging to the nearby Seligenwörden manor. The site has been protected as a monument since 1989. The farm first appears in records in the 12th century as Svevedeshusun, later changing names through Svavedessen and Schwobedissen. By 1400 the Lippe counts held the area, yet the estate remained tied to Herford Abbey. In the 1950s and 60s most original buildings were cleared to make way for the present hotel, now closed for renovation. What remains is a two-storey stone tower built in the late Middle Ages. Its walls are about a metre thick and once held grain stores. A 17th-century timber-framed upper floor and attic were added later. High-set doorways and narrow slit windows show it was designed as a refuge during raids. Today the tower sits on private land and cannot be entered.