Engelse Kerk (English Church)

Engelse Kerk, Begijnhof, Amsterdam

  Located inside the Begijnhof is the Engelse Kerk.  It was built around 1419 for the Begijntjes, a group of lay Catholic women who lived like nuns but did not take monastic vows.  The Engelse Kerk was taken away from the Begijntjes after the Alteration.   In 1607 It was rented to a group English and Scottish Presbyterian who may have been the Pilgrim Fathers.

It's a little tricky to find because the entrances are not marked and it feels like you're entering someone's private garden!  But it's worth finding because the Engelse Kerk is not the only thing in the Begijnhof, you can also find:

  • The Begijnhof Chapel at Nos. 29--30
  • Het Houten Huis at No. 34, which is the oldest house in Amsterdam, dating from around 1420
  • Biblical plaques behind No. 34
  • No 19 has a plaque with the exodus of the Jews from Egypt
 

Het Houten Huis, Amsterdam's oldest house

Above: Het Houten Huis, Amsterdam's oldest house