Kerktoren Goedereede
In the 15th century, Goedereede was a prosperous place with a lot of shipping and fishing. The city was a flourishing trade center. In 1467, construction began on a new church: the St. Catherine Church, which was completed in 1512. In the centuries that followed, the church lost its function, until it disappeared completely in the middle of the 17th century. The tower was repurposed as a beacon under the direction of master builder Pieter Noorwits. It served as a lighthouse for three centuries, until 1952, when the lighthouse keeper's house was demolished. From that moment on, it was no longer visible that the church tower had ever been a lighthouse. Nowadays, the Tower of Goedereede has a museum function, where you can learn everything about the history of the city. You can climb the entire tower, with no fewer than 217 steps, and at a height of 40 meters you have a beautiful view from the tower.
Location
Goedereede
Year built
Around 1450 and 1515
Architect
Rombout Keldermans
Building Style
Gothic
Original function
St. Catherine's church tower
Special feature
The earliest known work of Rombout Keldermans
Owned by Monumentenbezit
Since 2016
Wheelchair accessible
Yes, the first floor
Visitor information
The tower can be visited through the Goedereede Tower Museum and rented for events.
Visiting address:
Kerkpad 9, 3252 AW Goedereede
In 1453, construction began on the church dedicated to Saint Catherine: the Saint Catherine Church. At that time, Goedereede was still a prosperous city and there were ambitious plans for an impressive church. In 1467, construction began on the west side of the church, laying the foundations for the church tower. It was not until 1512 that work on the tower was completed. The high spire that was envisioned was not built due to a lack of money. The church tower was crowned with an octagonal low building with a blunt spire.
While the tower was still being built, the church was enlarged around 1480 by building a side aisle on the north side of the church. The building thus acquired the allure of a cathedral, despite the missing spire on the tower. The church stood there in all its splendor for over a century.
Due to silting, Goedereede became increasingly distant from the coast. As a result, trade and shipping moved and prosperity declined at the end of the sixteenth century. Nevertheless, from 1616 onwards, the tower was used as a beacon or lighthouse. In the middle of the seventeenth century, the tower was restored and adapted for this purpose under the direction of architect Pieter Noorwits. The church itself fell into increasing dilapidation due to declining income and also due to the use of the tower as a beacon. In the period 1703-1709, the nave was demolished and a smaller church was built – separate from the tower. The lowered walls of the former choir were used for this.
In 1798, the ownership of the tower was transferred from the States of Holland to the State and in 1833 a lighthouse keeper's house was built on the tower. The lighthouse keeper's house was equipped with a copper lantern with an oil lamp. In 1908, the tower was given a new rotating light, but this could not prevent the lighthouse function from being transferred to a new lighthouse on the Westhoofd in 1911. The Goedereede tower was still too far from the sea. In 1952, the lighthouse keeper's house was demolished and the last visible reminder of the centuries-long function as a beacon disappeared.
The former lighthouse of Goedereede is the only remnant of the Sint Catharinakerk, which was built between approximately 1450 and 1515. Big names were involved in the construction. For example, Rombout II Keldermans from Mechelen – and possibly also his father Antonis I Keldermans – were involved as stonemasons and designers of the flamboyant tower. The Vleyshouwer family from Mechelen also played a role in the construction. The third section was built in 1504-1505 and can be attributed to Rombout Keldermans, which would make it his earliest known work.
Another well-known name from the archives is Floris Adriaansz. Boeyens, the Utrecht priest, scholar and later Pope Adrian VI. He was pastor of the church from 1492 to 1507, and his involvement will have promoted the construction of the tower.
The design is in the Gothic style. The tower is built of brick with string courses of Lede and Gobertange stone. Bentheimer sandstone was used increasingly for the buttresses, pinnacles and traceries towards the top. An octagonal crowning with a high spire was planned for the tower, but only the beginning of it was built.