Report - Belgium Odds and Sods, December 2024

HughieD · Jan 14, 2025

So given I’m halfway through my Belgium explores with the 3 I did out of Mons, with the 3 out of close to Liege next, I thought it was time for this. This report that rounds up all the bits and bobs; places that didn’t merit a report or maybe places I didn’t explore and just took externals of. None of these placers merit a report in their own right, but together they make a more substantive report.

1. Castle of Hollogne-sur-Geer
Surrounded by a meadow, a nature reserve and woodland, the ruins of the former Castle of Hollogne-sur-Geer are located close to the Wallonian village of Geer, Belgium. The castle was constructed in 1652 on the foundations of another old castle. The castle faced many battles and in the 14th century, three relatives of the Lord of Harduémont were murdered due to his opposition during the War of the Awans and the Waroux.

Today all that remains are a 16th century sandstone rubble wall, a 17th century limestone guard tower and an outbuilding dating back to the 18th century.

The site was protected in 1976.

An old postcard of the guard tower:

This place was a stone’s throw from where we were staying, Typically I left it to the last day to have mooch over here and it was an extremely foggy day. There’s not an enormous amount to say about the place. It is pretty photogenic but can be looked round in a matter of ten minutes of so. Sadly, didn’t get into the tower as it was so wet and boggy around it.

2. Old Railway Building, Mons
Casually passed this place walking into Mons city centre. Not too much to say here as it was pretty small, but equally, quite interesting. It looks like a small goods shed with its awning, that was subsequently converted to house electrics but subsequently became surplus to requirements. A bigger railway-themed report will follow soon.

3. Chateau Cense au Bois, Mons
This one was a bit of a heart-breaker. This was a non-explore. I’d previously explored this place back in November 2019. It was at the end of a long and very successful day of exploring and the light was drawing in. It was a former high-end restaurant in the Chateau Cense au Bois just to the north of Mons (report HERE)

Given I was nearby, and my previous pictures were taking in the fading November light, I decided to go back on this very sunny December morn. This is what the place used to look like:

And this is what I was confronted with:

In some way, this isn’t surprising as the place was wide open. Here’s the sad details of the chateau’s demise HERE.

Maybe all is not lost for the chateau that was on the market back in 2020 for €850,000. The building was ready to be demolished but at the last minute a buyer was found and it will now be renovated.

4. HFB Ougree, Liege
Again, not so much a report as an up-date. With other nearby industrial behemoths already demoed (HF6 was demo’ed back in 2016), I wanted to have a look at HFB Ougree before the same fate befell it. I knew that demo had started from images on Google Maps street view, but when I got there and parked up on Rue de Renory, it all looked quite promising. I’d also managed to get under the fence and on site. However, it all turned out to be a façade. I was confronted with full demo team on site with CCTV all over the place and the heart of the former blast furnace site having been completely ripped out. so, I beat a retreat and took these pictures from the same confines of the perimeter.

While most has gone, they have yet to tackle the “tall” structures and those close to the road. Soon, however, HBF Ougree will be no more.

HughieD · Jan 14, 2025

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5. La Réunion colliery, Morlanwelz
This got close to having its own report but in the end the two big hulking brick and concrete building, while interesting from the outside, were merely shells. They were part of this La Reunion colliery in Morlanwelz. The colliery was worked between1850 to 1940, and like nearby Sainte Henriette mine, was owned by the company "Charbonnages de (Mariemont-)Bascoup". Beyond that there’s little info up on the web, however, I did manage to find this old postcard of the second and better condition building I looked round here:

Copyright © Neils, Bruxelles

The place was a walk in and an easy explore bar the attentions of the chien local!

Here’s the pictures. The first smaller building I looked in was absolutely thrashed:

On to the better of the two structures:

It looks like it has been knocked around a bit and altered/repurposed in recent years:

As this floor looks new-ish. It might have been the engine-house and these partition floors were put in when it was repurposed:

The roof has been patched up:

But needs a little more work here!

That’s it for this place;

6. Delwart Cement Factory
The old cement factory at Delwart, close by to Tournai was established in 1883 and specialised in the production of lime, natural and artificial cement in vertical kilns. It was subsequently bought in 1957 by the Ciments Bataille company. Production stopped in 1962 and Barges limestone quarry, next door to the cement factory, was flooded.

After decades of dereliction, redevelopment of the site commenced in 2018, with the old silos and part of the 100-year-old factory building being demo’ed to allow the construction of 39 apartments along with three commercial units. The large vertical oven nicknamed “the eagle’s nest” still remains which is what I photographed below.

Was on my way to the nearby brickwork when the “eagle’s nest” loomed up at me. I knew the site had been mainly demo’ed but decided to pull over and take a few shots. Even though I couldn’t get up the tower, glad I did.

HughieD · Jan 14, 2025

CONTINUED 2:

7. Former Belgacom Headquarters, Mons
This is the former headquarters for the Belgium telecommunications company Belgacom that offers services such as voice, internet, television, and fixed telephony. Abandoned for several years, the building was regularly squatted. Developers NovaMons were planning on demolishing the whole complex, but this is subject of an appeal to the Council of State.

Stumbled across this hulking building while walking round Mons city centre. It looked explorable but the light was poor and I didn’t have my touch so passed up the opportunity of having a look. I can’t see any other reports up on the web, but thought I’d post these externals that I took.

8. Chateau Bitremont, near Bury
This small, two-storey but long chateau dates back to the 13th century. The current structure, however, date back to the end of the 17th century. During the 19th century, many of its rooms were redeveloped, mainly on the right wing. It became famous for the wrong reason when it became the scene of a murder in 1851 when Count Hippolyte Visart de Bocarme and the Countess killed the countess’s brother, Gustave Fougnies over an argument about inheritance with his sister. The Count was found guilty of the murder by pouring nicotine down his brother-in-law’s throat and was guillotined that year! In April 1998, a fire devastated an entire wing and damaged the castle very badly. As a result, today, the Chateau now lies in a state of semi-dereliction.

This can be filed under fail. Saw reports on this place and decided I’d have a shufty. Managed to find it and get to it OK. However, didn’t realise that it had a moat all the way round it. There was only one way in over a moat and there was a locked Heras fence and active CCTV so thought I’d give it a miss. Managed a few external pictures all the same.