Green World, Belgium

Green World; another location that proves my favourite places are always green with vegetation! This time I am exploring an abandoned and overgrown swimming pool. Keeping with the plant-related theme, we even had to traverse a stream balancing on a fallen tree to get here! We explored this location as a final treasure, at the end of our amazing 2018 road trip across France, Italy & Belgium.

Some history of the lost Green World

Green World is an outbuilding and part of a huge estate, which was owned by a noble family. A castle has been recorded on this site since the 14th Century, although the residence that stands today is much newer. The castle was subsequently rebuilt in the mid 19th Century, in the fashionable Neo-Flemish Renaissance style of that time. Although the house is still lived in by an elderly couple, some parts appear totally forgotten. There are numerous buildings/structures including stable blocks, a walled vegetable garden, a small chapel and (most excitingly) the glasshouse!

Exploring the abandoned swimming pool

The wrought ironwork is covered with scrambling climbing plants. After a little inspection, many of these were actually grapevines! When we visited they were laden with delicious-looking grapes, invading the glasshouse from the outside. The opposite side of the greenhouse is walled and has a rock feature that may have once been a water feature. Interestingly this wall has different plants, both the wall and the rock feature is covered with ivy. When we visited (during the height of summer) the water in the pool was low. An unbroken film of vivid green algae covers the surface. The name Green World is certainly apt here! A small yellow boat was floating in the pool. This must have been a child’s boat, as in real life it is small (certainly, smaller than I was expecting!).

Attached to the Green World greenhouse is also a small orangery. In this area citrus fruits would be kept over winter, to protect from frost snaps.