Château de Montcornet was built between the 11th and 12th centuries by the first occupants, the Montcornets. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the fortress passed to Miles de Noyer and then to the Mello family. In 1446, Antoine I de Croy repurchased the castle and rebuilt it almost completely. In 1613, Charles of Gonzaga, who was in the process of building the nearby Charleville, capital of the Principauté d'Arches, purchases the castle. From then it passed into the hands of the Meillerais, then finally to the duke of Aiguillon, who dismantled it around 1760. Only ruins survive today.
The artefacts excavated from the castle grounds (keys, currency, pottery, bones, etc) are on display in a room of the castle.
References:Kakesbeck is one of the largest medieval fortifications in Münsterland and the oldest castle in Lüdinghausen. The imposingly grown complex originated in 1120 as a motte, a small hilltop tower castle. After numerous changes of ownership, the castle was extended onto two islands, but it was not until the 14th century that it underwent significant alterations and extensions under the von Oer family. The estate experienced its heyday in the middle of the 18th century, when it covered an area of almost one square kilometre and consisted of five further outer castles in addition to the core castle, which were secured by ramparts and moats.
The well-maintained condition of the castle today is thanks to the late Wilfried Grewing, the former lord of the castle. The foundation named after him has been particularly committed to preserving the property since 2020.