De Oude Toren in Oostelbeers
De Oude Toren is a medieval church tower located near Oostelbeers in the municipality of Oirschot. The tower stands in the middle of the fields, approximately 700 meters outside the village, surrounded by a wooded area and a shooting range.
In 1207, the church of Oostelbeers was first mentioned. From this year onwards, the Abbey of Tongerlo had the right to appoint the pastor (patronage right).
The church was only a quarter church, meaning that the parish could contribute…
De Oude Toren is a medieval church tower located near Oostelbeers in the municipality of Oirschot. The tower stands in the middle of the fields, approximately 700 meters outside the village, surrounded by a wooded area and a shooting range.
In 1207, the church of Oostelbeers was first mentioned. From this year onwards, the Abbey of Tongerlo had the right to appoint the pastor (patronage right).
The church was only a quarter church, meaning that the parish could contribute less tax. It was dedicated to Saint Andrew. In the period 1300-1350, a new church tower was built next to the existing church. This tower still stands in 2020. In the 15th century, the church was enlarged, and the tower received an additional segment. During this expansion, the sound holes of the third segment were bricked up. From 1648, the church was neglected due to Protestant rule following the Peace of Münster. As the church had come under Protestant control, Catholics used a barn church in 1672. In 1798, the church was in such poor condition and located far from the village center that the residents of Oostelbeers no longer wanted to use it. The Protestants were too few to maintain the church. When the Catholics regained their church towards the end of the 18th century, they continued to use their barn church. In the second half of the 19th century, the church building collapsed, while the tower remained standing. In 1968, the church tower was restored but was not given a spire during the restoration.
The tower is constructed without buttresses in brick and has four sections, covered by a tent roof. The four sections are separated by natural stone watercourses. In the second section, there are three elongated recessed panels bordered by a round arch frieze on each side, except on the east side. In the third section, there are two bricked-up pointed-arch sound holes on each side. In the fourth section, there are two pointed-arch recesses on each side, each containing two coupled pointed-arch sound holes. The church building itself was located on the east side of the tower. In the tower wall, the clear connection to the nave is still visible.
