A stone house on the site of current Mheer Castle was first mentioned in 1314. It was probably built long before that, because the Lords of Mheer were already mentioned around 1100. In the 14th century the castle went to the Van Imstenraedt family through marriage. The castle stayed in this family until 1668, then it went to the De Loë family. They still own the castle.
The castle is situated against the slope of a hill and thus has a dry moat. From the original 14th century castle only wall fragments remain. This original castle probably consisted of three wings surrounding a courtyard with the fourth side closed by a curtain wall. The present bailey dates back to the 16th and 17th century.
The present castle was rebuilt, with the use of original wall fragments, on the medieval foundations in the 17th century. Also in later centuries, up until the 20th century, a lot of rebuilding took place.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.