The church of Kootwijk is usually filed under Gothic, but this peculiar piece of architecture doesn't let itself be classified that easily.

During a restoration in 1903 two stones were found mentioning the year 749, leading people to believe this was one of the oldest churches in the country. A more realistic claim was that it dated from the early 11th century. Obviously its history is not documented very well.

Experts agree that the church was actually built in the 16th century. It's a single-aisled church with a tower and a choir both of the same width as the nave. Nave and choir are also very low. The tower is short but massive looking, which suggests it was intended to be taller. Apart from the clearly Gothic portal, the tower is ornamented with shapes that are more typical for the Romanesque style. From the outside the distinction between nave and choir is invisible, except for the closure.

What the restoration of 1903 amounted to exactly isn't very clear. Pictures made after that year still show the church with a nave covered with plaster, with only six windows, all rounded at the top, and with a peculiar, rather improvised looking door in the portal of the tower. In 1930-1931 the church was restored once again. During this restoration more buttresses and windows were added while the windows were given their current pointed shape.