Kerkgracht

Kerkgracht is a toponym found in parts of the Netherlands and Flemish-speaking regions that denotes a canal or waterway historically located near a church. The name combines kerk, meaning church, with gracht, meaning canal or watercourse, and reflects the relationship between religious sites and urban drainage in some towns.

The term appears in multiple locations where a water feature ran along or adjacent to the church precinct, often forming part of the local drainage or land-management system. In medieval town planning, such waterways could serve practical purposes, including rainwater drainage, local water level control, and the ceremonial or symbolic setting for church processions and gatherings.

Over time many kerkgrachten were altered or repurposed: some were preserved as historic waterways, while others were redirected, paved, filled in, or incorporated into streets and squares. The exact form and current status of a kerkgracht vary by locality and by historical development, reflecting changes in urban infrastructure and land use.

See also: Gracht; toponymy of Dutch water features. Further reading on kerkgracht is typically found in municipal archives and regional histories for towns where the name appears on historic maps and documents.