Saint Hadelin Church, Romanesque church in Celles, Belgium.

Saint Hadelin Church is a Romanesque basilica in Celles, built in the 11th century, with a massive defensive west tower topped by a slate spire. Its irregular local-stone walls are decorated with blind arcades and pilasters. Inside, a whitewashed nave with round arches on square pillars leads to a raised choir over a crypt; a second crypt lies under the tower.

According to tradition, Saint Hadelin founded an oratory at Celles around 670, which grew into a chapter of twelve canons. Around 1030–1040 those canons built the present church, consecrated around 1045 under Bishop Waso, who also saw a new reliquary made for Hadelin's remains. In 1337 the canons left for Visé, taking the relics; the church then remained largely unchanged, with a crypt reworked in 1590–1591 and a needle spire added to the tower.

The oak choir stalls under the crossing predate the canons' departure in 1337 and rank among the oldest in Belgium, their armrests carved with plant motifs. A 16th-century baptismal font with angel heads, a holy water stoup and a painted Crucifixion group also survive inside.

Visits are by arrangement, and you should contact the local tourism office to find out about access and available tour times. The church sits in an easy-to-reach location in Celles, a small village in the region.

The westwork has two round stair turrets and slit-like openings that point to a defensive role. The tower's needle spire with four small pyramids at the corners was probably added around 1590, and the tower's east wall was removed to open the nave toward the tribune above.