Dieden
(NB): reformed
church
The
former reformed church of
Dieden is a picturesque but rather neglected looking building. Unlike
other villages of the former Ravenstein municipality Dieden never was
part of the catholic enclave but fell under the jurisdiction of the
province of Gelderland instead, which explains why the medieval church
became a protestant one.
The nave is mostly built of tuff and dates from the second half of the
12th century. In the 15th century it was heightened and given
buttresses and pointed windows. Difference in size and colour of the
stones remind of this. In the same century the tower was built. This is
made of brick, but with decorarive layers of tuff stone taken from the
old west facade. The choir and northern transept-arm added in the same
period were removed before 1732, with only the closed arches reminding
of them.
The church for a long time was used for storage. In 1970-1971 the
building was restored. A new spire was added as well as a new roof,
while the tower's stair-turret was reconstructed. From 1986 until 2003
the former church was rented by an artist, who lived in the church and
used it as a studio. Currently the building is in a bad condition.
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