This castle probably consisted of a simple hall-keep, two stories high with 1.20 meter thick walls, and featured a surrounding moat which was fed by the nearby river Rhine.

Doorwerth Castle reached its largest form just after the middle of the 16th century under Daem Schellart van Obbendorf, the 15th Lord of Dorenweerd.

Around 1637 the bailey was rebuilt to its present appearance and a dike was built around the castle to protect it from flooding of the river Rhine.

Shortly after, the castle changed ownership due to financial problems and was granted in fief to a German Count, Anton I van Aldenburg.

In 1969–1970, Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema wrote his book Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange) in the restaurant Beaulieu.