Saint Nicholas Church Slijpe

In the church of Slijpe, monumental murals were created depicting the life and work of the Templars. This religious knightly order was founded in the early 12th century to protect pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. In Slijpe and the surrounding area, many buildings, structures, and customs still refer to this illustrious order of old.
The village of Slijpe emerged around 1100 as a split from the then main parish of Leffinge. This happened at the initiative of a certain Arleboud. The original name of Slijpe was Arleboudskapelle. Thus, Arleboud had a chapel built here in honor of St. Nicholas. The chapel quickly grew into an independent parish church.
In the choir of this church, stained glass windows adorned with the arms of the commanders of the Temple Order in Slijpe were present. Moreover, several Templar knights were buried here. Slijpe was thus the core of their possessions in Kamerlings Ambacht. Unfortunately, the church was ravaged by a fire in the 19th century, during which these stained glass windows were lost. The church was subsequently rebuilt on a smaller scale and restored where possible.
During World War I, it also suffered significant damage, and from 1919 it was restored under the direction of architect T. Raison. It is a three-aisled hall church with a crossing tower, surrounded by a small walled cemetery, around which old linden trees also stand. The chapels flanking the access path are dedicated to the Sacred Heart and commemorate the victims of World War I.
In St. Nicholas Street, the old rectory and assistant rectory have been preserved.

Toerisme Middelkerke