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Berkel-Enschot (NB): St. Willibrordus (J. Stuyt, 1910-1911)

In Berkel a cruciform, aisleless chapel in Gothic style, built in 1440, had served as a church since 1852, the year the Berkel parish was founded. Architect H.J. van Tulder added a tower in a richly ornamented neo-Gothic style in 1857. Around 1907 plans were made to replace the chapel, which had become too small, with a new church. The decision to do so was made public late in December 1909 and construction work started next Spring.

The new church was designed by J. Stuyt, who was probably approached to design a new chuch already in 1907, when he still formed a partnership with J.Th.J. Cuypers. In his design Stuyt integrated most of the tower but covered with a new layer of bricks, hiding all the former detail. This is one of Stuyt's simpler designs, a three-aisled cruciform basilica in neo-Romanesque style, with side-aisles divided into several seperately roofed "chapels" and with a choir with a semi-circular apse. Stuyt's trademark, the checkerboard motives, is present in various locations. Stuyt would later build similar village churches in Klein-Zundert and Ijsselmuiden, only the towers being notably different.

The church was consecrated on October the 16th 1911.

 

 

 

 

 
 
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