| Bamble Church | |
|---|---|
| Bamble kirke | |
 View of the church | |
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| 59°00′34″N9°39′50″E / 59.009436°N 9.6639792°E /59.009436; 9.6639792 | |
| Location | Bamble Municipality, Telemark |
| Country | Norway |
| Denomination | Church of Norway |
| Previous denomination | Catholic Church |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Lutheran |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Founded | 1845 |
| Consecrated | 19 October 1845 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | G.A. Lammers |
| Architectural type | Long church |
| Style | Neo-Gothic |
| Completed | 1845 (180 years ago) (1845) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 400 |
| Materials | Wood |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Agder og Telemark |
| Deanery | Bamble prosti |
| Parish | Bamble og Herre |
| Type | Church |
| Status | Automatically protected |
| ID | 83850 |
Bamble Church (Norwegian:Bamble kirke) is aparish church of theChurch of Norway inBamble Municipality inTelemark county,Norway. It is located in the village ofBamble. It is one of the churches for theBamble og Herreparish which is part of theBamble prosti (deanery) in theDiocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, wooden church was built in along church design in 1845 using plans drawn up by thearchitectGustav Adolph Lammers. The church seats about 400 people.[1][2][3]
This modern church is built about 150 metres (490 ft) to the north of the ruins of the oldSt. Olav's Church, a much older stone church, probably constructed before 1150.[4]
The old Bamble Church, known as theSt. Olav's Church served this parish for many centuries. By the 1840s, the old church was in need of replacement, so planning for a new church began. The old church was going to be torn down and the new church was to be built about 150 metres (490 ft) to the north of the old church. The new church was designed by the local parish priestGustav Adolph Lammers, who was also the local mayor and a member of parliament for a while.[5] Some modifications to the plan came fromChristian Grosch, who worked for theNorwegian Ministry of Church Affairs. The church wasconsecrated on 19 October 1845. The church is considered by some to be Norway's firstNeo-Gothic church. When it was built, some of the stone from the old medieval church was used in the foundation wall and the cemetery wall. The new church was technically acruciform building, but thetransepts that are the cross-arms are very small and short, so the interior of the church is set up as along church. The twotransepts are set up as galleries. In 1902, the church was renovated by the architectHjalmar Welhaven. Among the things that were changed was the modest original tower was removed and a much larger tower was built in its place. In 1985, the church was again restored and some of the interior colors were changed.[5][6][7][8][4]
The church has a large cross flanked by twoaltarpieces, both painted byGustav Adolph Lammers. The cross was drawn byPer Vigeland and carved by brothersAnker andBjarne Walle from Bamble. The 1951, stained glass window, with the risen Christ as a theme, is also by Vigeland.[9] The church inventory also includes an exemplar ofChristian III's Bible from 1550 and brass candlesticks that feudal lordOve Gjedde bestowed to the old church in 1643.[4][10]
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