One of the largest landowners of the lordship of Moorsel was the abbey of
Affligem. On one of the abbey domains, Karel van Croy, cardinal-abbot
of Affligem, and later bishop of Tournai, had a moated castle built as a country house and pleasure garden in the period from 1521 to 1526. He was,
said, not very strict about keeping his vows.
The castle of Moorsel is a large four-sided moated castle, built in
Renaissance style and flanked by four corner towers with numerous loopholes;
it is located in a beautiful park south of the Eksterberg.
In 1564 it came into the hands of the counts of Hoorne, who sold it to Don Cayro in 1636 and it was elevated to barony. During that period, the castle was thoroughly restored, but the general layout was largely preserved. At the end of the 18th century, the building came into the hands of the de Meer family and later of the Van der Noot family. Through family ties with the Van der Noot family, the castle was donated to Mr. and Mrs. De Meulenaire–Dessin, who lived in it for a few years and then sold it to the current owners: Willy Michiels and his wife Lisette De Rijck. The castle was expertly restored by them and thus saved from ruin.