This indicates that Altena Castle was built before the procedure to produce brick was reinvented in the Netherlands.

In 17th century pictures, the remains of the castle are depicted as a polygonal tower on a motte (see Schijnvoet's engraving).

Others became shell keeps by building a circular wall on top of the motte e.g. the Burcht van Leiden.

Heusden Castle had its first octagonal tower founded on ground level, with the motte constructed around it.

He mentioned that in 1203, Louis II, Count of Loon visited Altena Castle, where he waited for the death of Dirk VII, Count of Holland, before continuing to Dordrecht to marry his daughter Ada, Countess of Holland.

[7] Archaeological evidence (the presence of much tuff) proves that Dirk's forefathers already owned a motte castle at the current location.

Dirk III of Altena had no legal offspring, his sister Sophia was his heir.

Dirk succeeded in making his nephew Willem of Horne his heir and successor in the Lordship of Altena, which was a fief of Kleve.

In May 1387 the Count of Holland and his son William of Oostervant then went to Woudrichem with a small army of 500 men.

On the night of 22–23 September 1392 both she and William's chamberlain Willem Cuser, were murdered in The Hague by Hook nobles.

When Count Albert started to accuse a group of Hook nobles of the murder, he came into conflict with his son William.

In July 1393 Count Albert started to besiege Altena Castle with a small army.

Soon after, Walburgis van Nieuwenaer widow of Philip de Montmorency, sold Altena to the province of Holland.