Casteau

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Casteau is an old village of Belgium in the French-speaking region. With the others villages Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Horrues, Naast, Neufvilles, Soignies (town), and Thieusies, they compose the municipality of Soignies.

Casteau, Old village under the snow. – Picture: Jean-Pol Grandmont.

Postal code : 7061
Province : Hainaut
District : Soignies
Gentilic : Castellois(e)
Elevation: 63 to 115 m (207 to 377 ft)
Area: 11,11 km² (4,3 square miles)
Time zone: UTC+1

The village is located between the towns of Mons and Soignies on the road Mons-Brussel. The river Aubrecheuil flows through the village. In the past, there were some watermills along the river.

1 Etymology
2 History
3 Landscape
4 Local Speciality and collection
5 External links

[edit] Etymology

The name Casteau comes from the Latin word castellum, meaning Castle.

[edit] History

Casteau, the old watermill. – Picture: Jean-Pol Grandmont.

Casteau was already known in neolithic times. A Roman cemetery from the times of Marcus Aurelius has been discovered.

1678 : French soldiers destroyed the village during the battle of St-Denis against Holland's army of William the Silent.

1825 : A part of the western plain became a military camp for Holland's army until the revolution of Belgium in 1830.

1940 : German troops occupied the barracks until 1944.

1967 : The SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers in Europe) moved into the base.

1977 : Casteau was merged with other villages to make the municipality of Soignies.

[edit] Landscape

The valley of the river Obrecheuil is in the east of the village. This part of the valley is Natura 2000. The heart of the village is in the northwest higher part of the valley. The northwestern part of the village is a plain with dispersed houses and farms with typical hedges. The village is the border between the valley of the river The Haine (Elevation from 20 to 30m) and the plateau of Hainaut (Elevation from 80 to 150 m).

Around the village, there are several woods (Oaks, beeches, chestnuts, poplars,...), fields (potatoes, sugar beets, corns, wheats,...) and prairies (Cows, horses). The ground is made of sands and silts..