History
The Year 1695 | Arnold Joost Van Keppel
Arnold Joost van Keppel, landed gentry of not very rich background, was put to work by his father as a page at the court of King-Cityholder Willem III, who resided at his brand-new palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn. The powerful King-Councillor, married to Mary Stuart (she died in 1692) and therefore King of England, fell for Van Keppel and became his closest friend. This enabled Arnold Joost van Keppel, now Earl of Albemarle, Baron of Ashford and Margrave of Bury, in 1695 to commission the architects of Het Loo, Roman and Marot, to build the majestic palace "Huis De Voorst" (a replica of Het Loo) on his ancestral estate in Eefde.
Versailles of the Achterhoek
The magnificent palace soon became known as the "Versailles of the Achterhoek" and it became a "Lieu de Plaisance", where Albemarle and the King Stadhouder welcomed many an important guest. After the Van Keppel period, many noble families bought, lived in and sold the estate.
Historical Fire
The low point was 18 August 1943 when the main building burned down due to a careless painter. It was completely restored in 1957 and in the years 2003 to 2005, and the interior was tastefully and attractively adapted to the splendour of the house. The estate is now owned by the Friends of the Gelderse Castles Foundation.
A Bridge Too Far
A Bridge Too Far is the 1974 film adaptation of the book A Bridge Too Far, written by Cornelius Ryan. The book was filmed in 1976 and directed by Richard Attenborough. It was released in June 1977. The leads are James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O'Neal and Robert Redford. These world-famous film stars were all guests of Landgoed Huis de Voorst.
ASHFORD
The team has been organising events & weddings on Landgoed Huis de Voorst since 1999. In 2003 Ashford Party & Event Catering (Ashford Wedding & Event Designers) officially took over the exclusive operation of the estate.
RenovationS
2003-2005
Corps de Logis restoration
2008
Carriage house transformed into Luxury Suites
2021
Restoration Corps de Logis
2022
Renovation of Carriage House
History - Huis de Voorst [NL]
Welcome to Landgoed Huis de Voorst
History - Huis de Voorst [ENG]
2017 Advertising Campaign
Geschichte - Huis De Voorst [DE].
2017 Culinary Campaign