Photos: Kristin Schyllner
The church's history
When you see today's church, you can hardly believe that the remains of a medieval gray stone church are hidden within the church's walls. Already in the 8th century, the peninsula of Hållnäs was an important place with its good harbours. Huld, now Hållen, was a Viking village with a sacrificial place for the god Thor. At Sikhjälma and Edsätra there are mighty Viking graves. After Christianity was adopted, the first church was built which according to a local council decision was a so-called "tolftkyrka" with just half an acre of land.
We don't know much about the oldest church in Hållnäs, but preserved inventories tell us that there should have been a church as early as the end of the 12th century. We know that Christianity reached this area already in the 11th century. Around the year 1683, the older church was drawn by Johan Hadorph, which shows that the church belonged to the usual rectangular country church type in Uppland. With sacristy to the north and armory to the south.
A parish visitation protocol from the year 1850 describes the church as follows – "The church, whose age there is no information, is built of gray stone, with the exception of the top tips on both voices, which are of brick, equipped with crosses, the roof is covered with shavings" .
Interiorly, the church has three cross vaults resting on four pillars on either side. The church has one window on the basket gable and two on the south side. The year 1724 can be seen as a landmark year in the history of the church. Then Charles de Geer obtained the right of patronage over the church which among other things entailed the obligation to build and maintain the church. Somewhat earlier, bleachers had been erected at de Geer's expense. During the rebuilding in 1741, among other things, the triumphal crucifix was taken down and installed on the northern long wall.
In the middle of the 19th century, a thorough reconstruction of the church was carried out, which forever deprived it of its medieval character. Drawings were carried out by architect Carl Axel Setterberg and completed by N. G. Anckarsvärd. The cost of the reconstruction amounted to 35,500 riksdaler banco and took place during the years 1851–1854. Of the old medieval church, only the eastern aisle and a small part of the second aisle were preserved. The choir in the new church came to be located in the west and behind this was housed the sacristy. The gallery was placed in the eastern transept and the church got a new entrance from the east. The brick floor was raised and six old headstones were placed below this. The medieval church had been transformed into a cross church.