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Castle · Houten · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Castle Vuylcop in Houten

Vuylcop is a castle in Houten, Utrecht, Netherlands. This place has a story in the app. Within 580 m you'll find a bench.

Directions in Google Maps
Castle Vuylcop in Houten
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Photo: Kasteelbeer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 nlView the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Castle Vuylcop in Houten, photo 2
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Photo: Cornelis Johannes Steenbergh · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Castle Vuylcop in Houten, photo 3
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Photo: Jan dijkstra · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

The story

Wikipedia ↗

Story · Vuylcop

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You're standing at Vuijlcop, a small old castle on the Schalkwijkse wetering, a drainage canal in the municipality of Houten. Look at the brick tower. Things looked roughly like this as far back as 1300. It started as a residential tower of about seven by ten metres, with a cellar, two floors and an attic under a hipped roof, surrounded by a moat.

Read the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Photos

9 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

Castle Vuylcop in Houten
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Photo: Kasteelbeer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 nlView the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Castle Vuylcop in Houten: a small castle by the wetering

Vuylcop is a small castle in Houten, in the province of Utrecht. It is a rijksmonument, which means the government protects the building. The name comes from Willem van Vuijlcop, who was given the house on lease in 1392, meaning he was allowed to use it. At one point, the tower served as a schuilkerk, a hidden place to pray. You will find the castle on the Schalkwijkse wetering, in the Waalse Veld. Walking a short way along the wetering is a pleasant way to see the tower rising above the flat land.

What you see at Vuylcop

The first thing you see is the brick tower. It has been restored and now has its old shape again. The tower measures about 7 by 10 metres and has a cellar, storeys and an attic under a hip roof. On top of the tower sits a hen, a striking detail you can see clearly from below. The castle stands on the south side of the Schalkwijkse wetering, on a slightly higher strip of land. If you look closely, you'll notice the ground here is just a little higher than the land around it. The wide house with the stair turret that once stood next to the tower is gone. That means you now see only the tower itself, as it already stood around 1300.

Castle Vuylcop's history and owners

In 1538 Vuylcop officially became a ridderhofstad, or manor house. A drawing from 1640 shows only the tower, with a farm beside it. By a print from 1698, the castle looks very different. The tower is one storey higher, a stair tower has been built against it, and a wide house stands alongside, with a gateway and a drawbridge. This was probably the work of Gerard van Rossum, who owned the castle from 1682 to 1724. He also laid out a driveway leading to the sandy path between Utrecht and Culemborg, which turned the castle into a country estate. The extension was later demolished. Today the castle is managed by the Stichting Vuylcop foundation.

Toilets, drinking water and benches near Vuylcop

As you visit the castle, it is worth knowing that there are few facilities nearby. You will not find any benches at Castle Vuylcop in Houten, as there are 0 benches within 500 metres. The nearest bench is 579 metres away, at Trip. According to our map, there is also no water point within 1 km, so you will need to bring your own drinking water to Castle Vuylcop in Houten. You also will not see a toilet at Castle Vuylcop in Houten on our map, as there is no public toilet within 1 km. Please use the toilet before setting off.

Facilities near Vuylcop

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No water point, public toilet, bike pump or honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first.

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Photo: User:Husky · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Centraal Museum
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Photo: Centraal Museum / fotograaf: Vincent Zedelius · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Museum Catharijneconvent
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Photo: FaceMePLS · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Dom tower
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Dom tower · 10.8 km

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Photo: Massimo Catarinella · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Museum Speelklok
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Museum Speelklok · 10.8 km

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Photo: Victor van Werkhooven · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Rietveld-Schröderhuis on the spot with the app

All 197 points of interest in Utrecht →

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Vuylcop Houten located?

Vuylcop lies on the Schalkwijkse wetering in the municipality of Houten, in the province of Utrecht. The castle stands on the south side of the wetering, on a slightly higher strip of land in the Waalse Veld.

When was Vuylcop Houten built?

Vuylcop began around 1300 as a residential tower, and in 1392 Willem van Vuijlcop was granted the house as a fief. In 1538 it officially became a ridderhofstad.

Why is there a hen on the tower of Vuylcop Houten?

The hen is a reminder that the tower once served as a secret church, a hidden place to pray.

Are there any benches near Vuylcop Houten?

No, there are no benches within 500 metres of Vuylcop. The nearest bench is 579 metres away, at Trip.

Is there a public toilet at Vuylcop Houten?

No, according to our map there is no public toilet within 1 km of Vuylcop. Plan a toilet stop before you set off.

Is there drinking water at Vuylcop Houten?

No, according to our map there is no water point within 1 km of Vuylcop. Bring your own water.

Nearby

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