Middachten has been a country estate in the true sense of the word for centuries. The castle represents the beating heart, with the surrounding castle garden and park. The far-reaching agricultural grounds and forests are exploited for the benefit of the house and garden.
Integrated forest management
This forestry method uses natural processes in the forest wherever possible. Wood harvesting takes place, whereby the landscape, recreation and ecology are all important management objectives. No actual forest planting takes place, but natural rejuvenation is made use of. The best quality trees are selected from the new trees. We use forest maintenance and regular selections to strive for trees with a great deal of wood quality. The Middachten forests have a rich subsoil (loess) and are therefore suitable for deciduous trees like oak and specifically beech trees. These trees have an excellent wood quality at Middachten.
The Middachten wood sometimes ends up far across the country’s borders. Part of the wood is used on the estate itself and processed by the carpenter. The photograph shows him making a bench for the garden. The bench is an original design from the start of the 20th century by garden architect Hugo Poortman.
Hunting
Hunting has also always been part of the Middachten traditions. Both the Middachten forests and the nearby Royal Court in Dieren were the hunting domain of the Dutch Royal family in the 17th century. Hunting for red deer, fallow deer, wild boar and roe still goes on, in order to responsibly manage the quantity of game in the area. This ensures the number of animals is effectively balanced with the heavily populated area. Middachten devotes the greatest possible care to how these animals are shot. This is done in close consultation with the county counsel, nature organisations and nearby site owners.
The owner, in consultation with his or her steward, ensures the management of all such activities is closely guarded.
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