Sint-Martinuskerk, Parish church in Herzele, Belgium

Sint-Martinuskerk is a neo-Gothic cruciform church built of grey and brown stone, with a square tower capped by a slate pyramid roof and cross. The tower's lower section in white sandstone dates from the 1600–1625 rebuild, while the nave has pointed-arch windows, a smaller spire, and a red-brick side chapel with a traceried window. The church is oriented west, not east.

The earliest written records of the church date back to 972, and it was transferred to the Abbey of Saint-Ghislain in 1147 under the authority of Lord Boudewijn van Herzele. A major renovation in 1913 integrated older structural parts and reshaped the building into its current form.

The stained glass windows inside show biblical scenes and stories of saints created by artists Hendrik Coppejans and Michel De Loore. These colored glass artworks fill the interior with light and detail as you walk through the space.

The church stands on a partly walled churchyard with Belgian and British war graves from both world wars, so allow time to walk among the plots. The building is not oriented east like most churches: it faces west, and the tower now serves as the entrance. The tower's bell openings are uneven, with three on one side and two on the other.

The bell tower has uneven sound holes on each side, a result of how older building pieces were joined together during the 1913 renovation. These irregular openings become visible when you walk around the outside of the tower and show the layered history of how the building was pieced back together.