Parish Church of Saint Martin and Saint Eutropius

Located on a small hill west of the old Leie with a surrounding cemetery, featuring a low brick wall. According to a legend, it was founded together with the church of Grammene by two sisters who could not agree on the location of a church. Presumably an early medieval place of worship (see location, Germanic name, and the patronage). In 1171, mention of a church owned by the chapter of Tournai. Possibly, the square base of the crossing tower, made of Tournai stone in irregular bond, has Romanesque origins. Preserved early Gothic choir and transept of the single-nave cruciform church, presumably from the late 13th century. An octagonal bell chamber of Ledesteen was added in the late 14th to 15th century. The single-nave ship was replaced in 1860 by a larger three-nave neo-Gothic ship under one gable roof with a renewed interior (see F. De Potter). Between 1890 and 1906, restorations were carried out by architect G. Hoste, including work on the roofs and the old parts, renewing the vaults of the choir, transept, and tower. Damaged in 1918 but primarily in May 1940 when the church, located near the Leie, was fired upon by both armies. The choir, transept, and tower could be restored in 1941; the neo-Gothic ship and furnishings were beyond saving. In 1951-53, the current single-nave ship was built according to the design of architect G.J. Callens (see the facade stone inside). During recent insulation works under architect G. De Muynck, a concrete cassette ceiling in the interior of the ship was covered. Rectangular floor plan with a single-nave ship of five bays, a non-projecting transept of one bay, crossing and choir of two bays with a straight closure; flanking storage and sacristy. Round stair turret in the northern angle of the transept and choir, leaning against the tower. Covered gable roofs (with clay tiles). West facade with a broad gabled front with an oculus and three doors. Side facades divided by buttresses between which wide rectangular windows are located. Crossing tower on a square base, transitioning to an octagon with the help of tent roofs. Bell chamber with pointed-arch sound holes. Choir and transept arms with high pointed-arch windows with tracery. Interior: brick ship divided by pillars on which the concrete belt arches rest. Separation between ship and crossing with a brick wall pierced by two small and one large pointed arch. Old transept, crossing, and choir plastered and painted, covered with painted wooden ribbed vaults; crossing with a plastered vault with ribs and a bell opening to the east. Furnishings: Old and 19th-century furnishings completely destroyed in World War II. Stone altar table, neo-Gothic. Polychrome crucifix above the altar, originating from the cemetery.

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