Kerkhove on the Scheldt: Traces of Local History

Kerkhove brings together the Scheldt landscape, archaeological traces and historic architectural styles. The village centre lies on the left bank of the Scheldt, at the edge of the river valley proper. Between a former river branch, early medieval finds and buildings from later centuries, a local history unfolds that appeals to a range of interests. If you are looking for a hotel in Kerkhove, the village’s themes can help guide your travel plans.

Scheldt Landscape and Archaeological History

Kerkhove marina was established in 1991 in a former branch of the Scheldt. This brings two distinct aspects of the river landscape together: the village centre at the edge of the river valley and the marina in the former branch. This distinction gives the area its special connection to the Scheldt, without conflating the village centre and the marina.

Kerkhove is also closely connected to early history. Traces of a small Merovingian settlement and a burial ground were discovered here. The settlement traces are considered the first finds of this kind from the Merovingian period discovered in Belgium. Ditches found during archaeological investigations at Kerkhove Stuw have been attributed to the period of a nearby mansio on the basis of several carbon-dating results. A mansio was a large road station and a regional administrative and logistics centre; such facilities were usually established at junctions of land and water routes.

The Regionaal Archeologisch Museum A/D Schelde presents the settlement history of the Scheldt Valley from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages. It is located at the archaeological site of Kerkhove, which is associated with prehistoric, Roman and Merovingian periods. The museum and its finds place the local history in a broader timeframe: the Merovingian traces form part of a longer history of settlement in the Scheldt Valley.

Churchyard and Village Street

Kerkhove cemetery was originally located by the parish church, which was demolished in 1867, near a cut-off meander of the Scheldt. At its centre stands a chapel shaded by two beech trees. The chapel contains the tombstones of Kerkhove’s parish priests. The cemetery also features an imposing tomb monument to the Plateau-Wassenhove family, which produced two mayors. Together, these details tell of religious remembrance and the history of individual local families.

Oude Plaats is a historic village street with a gently curving course. It runs from the Oudenaardsesteenweg to the Scheldt. Until 1867, the Sint-Amanduskerk stood at the Scheldt end of Oude Plaats. The Sint-Amanduskerk was built between 1865 and 1867 in the Neo-Gothic style, to a design by the Bruges-born architect Verbeke. Its floor plan follows that of a cross-shaped basilica; the west tower is asymmetrically positioned. In this way, the route of the old village street and the church’s distinctive architecture complement each other in the local streetscape.

Architectural Styles and Places of Remembrance

The farmhouse of Voldersveldhoeve dates from the late 16th century. The farmstead includes a monumental brick entrance gate beneath a tiled pitched roof. Two pilasters with natural-stone capitals support the gate on each side. Here, the materials, roof form and carefully articulated design can all be appreciated together; the gate thus provides a different architectural accent from the Neo-Gothic church.

At Heye, two upright-growing beech trees symmetrically frame a chapel. It commemorates the former church at this site. The arrangement of the trees and the chapel’s commemorative purpose create a distinct connection to the past, separate from the cemetery chapel in the village centre. For travel planning, Kerkhove thus offers several different ways to explore local history: the Scheldt and its former river branches, archaeological evidence, and church, cemetery and farmstead architecture.

For the wider travel overview: Avelgem.