Bellingen

Bellingen is a rural village without a real core, but with a number of Brabant square farms on the Roskambeek. The centre includes a 19th-century presbytery, the late Gothic church, several imposing square farmhouses and the remains of the Notre-Dame priory. This priory was founded in 1182 as a dependency of the Augustinian abbey of Cantimpré (Cambrai). It flourished rapidly thanks to the support of the lords of Enghien. After the destruction of Cantimpré Abbey, Bellingen was elevated to the status of an abbey for a time but was dissolved in 1796. Many buildings still bear witness to the prosperity at the time of the priory's existence. The Roskam farm and the Terloo Monastery are also nearby. The townscape has hardly changed in the last 150 years. The 17th-century Gothic Church of Our Lady and the former abbey farm form an impressive ensemble in the landscape. Most of the current farm buildings date from the 19th century. A natural stone and brick enclosure wall connects the farm with the church. South of Bellingen on a slope lies the Moeliebos (Mouilliebos) and the Daleveld. The Moeliebos is a typical example of the spring and stream accompanying groves in the loam region, it consists of a deeply incised, asymmetrical, wooded stream valley surrounded by rolling meadows. These alluvial groves are also very species-rich. They are parts of the deeply incised loam plateau southwest of Halle. The western flank of the valley, the Daleveld, consists of weakly or moderately silty loamy soils, which are not very permeable.

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