St. Wllibrordus Church, Hulst

This is the St. Willibrordus Church at Hulst, Netherlands (Nederland, Holland).

The building is of brick but covered on the outside with limestone. Limestone is easy to work but the disadvantage with it is that it is seriously susceptible to erosion. The spire has been formed from pre-stressed concrete.

The first mention of a church in Hulst was in a charter from 1228 AD. In 1402, two eight-sided storeys and a spire were built on to the older square tower base.

The church is built in the shape of a Latin cross. The various parts of the building are grouped around the centrally positioned tower. This is typically Flemish. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Romanesque style of architecture in Flanders was gradually giving way to the Gothic style.

Under influence from Antwerp, Master Builder Everaert Spoorwater was approached in 1462 to build the Chancel in the Brabant Gothic style. Unfortunately, in 1468 the tower and nave were completely destroyed by fire. The foundations for a new nave were laid in 1481, the work reaching completion in 1535.

The spire was destroyed by a fire in 1876 and was replaced by another in neo-gothic style. However, this was destroyed by the Allies during the second World War, because the Germans used it as a look-out post. Eventually, in 1957, the modern concrete spire was in place.

Further restoration work took place between 1996 and 1999.