ANWB (
visit link) has been placing information boards at monuments and tourist routes for around 35 years with the aim of introducing historic locations to not only visitors but also residents of the region.
Source: (
visit link)
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ANWB Monument Plaque, with number 66146/001, reads:
"CLEMENS CHURCH
Around 1200 the first stone god house was built on this historic site. According to tradition it was a Romanesque chapel. For this, use was made of monastery mops and boulders. The roof was made of reed.
Because of the difficult accessibility of the parish church in Steenwijk, the bishop was authorized
Dean of Steenwijk and the Dean of Drenthe to permit the residents of Hesselte (the old village of Darp), Hesselterveen (now Nijeveen) and Uffelte to build their own church. The village of Havelte did not yet exist at that time.
Construction began in 1310. While maintaining the Romanesque character, the walls of the chapel were raised and extended to approximately the current size. The church had three arches, also called bays. On the walls you can still see what this church looked like. The church was dedicated to Saint Clement, probably Pope Clement the First to have lived around 100 AD. The consecration crosses are still visible in both the north and south façades.
On the west side, construction of the tower began in 1410. This is evident from the inscription that is written on the sandstone lintel above the entrance, which reads freely: "In the year 1410, Jan, the son of Willem, laid this stone."
Around 1450, most of the Romanesque church was fitted with a gothic superstructure. The choir was replaced by an overwhelmed Gothic priest choir. A large triumphal arch was built between the nave and the choir. Afterwards the church was also provided with vaults.
There is a holy water tank in the tower. This was used in 1516 by Gerardus van Wou from Kampen as a melting pot for casting the 1666 kg tower bell called 'Sanctus Johannes'.
After the Reformation, around 1598, under the authority of the provincial government, the altars and statues were removed from the church. Repair work on the building was necessary in part as a result of the 80-year War that raged in this area from 1568 to 1594. Among other things, the slates on the roof were replaced by roof tiles. Above the entrance to the south façade it is stated that in 1598 Gerhart Struuck laid the first pan on the roof.
In 1660, part of the tower fell on the church during a violent storm. The damage was huge. All beams were crushed. Another pulpit had to be placed. This is possibly from older date given the panels with so-called late Gothic Tudor arches and the standing acorns. The men's sofas also had to be replaced.
Beneath the organ gallery is the gravestone of Johann Struuck and his wife. Johann Struuck was Havelte's first guilt from 1595 until his death in 1605.
Next to the pulpit is an altar stone, which was already in use in the church of 1310. It is a sarcophagus lid, probably from the eleventh century.
In the choir is a men's bench that was owned by the Linthorst Homan family. For a long time they were the residents of the 'Overcinge' estate.
In 1819, the well-known Groningen organ builder Petrus van Oekelen built his first organ for the Abbey Church in Assen. In 1897 this organ was set up in this church.
Recent restorations have taken place in 1920-1926, 1960 and 2000-2001."