Tostareds kyrka is a wooden church in the village of Tostared, in Marks kommun, Västra Götaland, belonging to Västra Marks parish within the Diocese of Gothenburg. It ranks among the diocese's oldest surviving timber churches, with origins traced to the early sixteenth century.
The church is thought to have been built in the early 1500s, making it one of the oldest wooden churches in the diocese. A dendrochronological examination of the oak timber suggests the wood was felled around 1540, though the building itself is not mentioned in written records until 1720, when the parish sought a diocesan collection to repair its by-then dilapidated structure.
Work beginning in 1721 gave the chancel its present three-sided form. The three-storey tower, topped with a cross, was added in 1824 by builders from Sandhult, and new pews followed in 1829. A small sacristy was built against the south side of the chancel in 1864, with a second added to the north side in 1931 during restoration work led by Axel Forssén. In 1945 the flat ceiling was replaced with a barrel vault at greater height, and the church underwent a further thorough renovation in 1976.
Among the church's most notable furnishings is a soapstone font, part of a group associated with the font at Starrkärr church and attributed to the late thirteenth century. It is decorated with twelve round-arched arcades carved with foliage, plaitwork and floral ornament in relief. The font was reinstalled in the church in 1931, and its brass basin dates from 1955.
The altarpiece and pulpit both date from the latter part of the seventeenth century; the pulpit, and possibly the altarpiece too, is said to have come originally from the old church at Hyssna. Communion silver in the church spans several centuries, including a gilded silver chalice and paten from 1790 and later vessels in nysilver and porcelain. Two bridal crowns survive: one in brass from 1770 bearing a royal inscription, and a later one in gilded silver from 1962.
The church's smaller bell may date from the late medieval period or somewhat later; it is unusually stubby in form and carries no inscription. The larger bell was donated in 1937. The current organ, built in 1971 by Tostareds Kyrkorgelfabrik, replaced an earlier instrument from 1945, which itself had followed the use of a harmonium.
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Västra Marks församling
Västra Marks församling
Tostareds kyrka is a wooden church in the village of Tostared, in Marks kommun, Västra Götaland, belonging to Västra Marks parish within the Diocese of Gothenburg. It ranks among the diocese's oldest surviving timber churches, with origins traced to the early sixteenth century.
Tostareds kyrka 1
Explore this church: Tostareds kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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View church details: Skårs kyrkaSources, credits and English adaptations are identified on each church page. Provider data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0.
Provider catalogue data: Svenska kyrkan, Platser, CC BY 4.0. Separately credited descriptions retain their stated source and licence terms. Catalogue and visiting data reformatted from the provider. The English guide combines and abridges separately credited sources below.
Provider record updated: 9 Jun 2022. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 6510fcfa-5779-476e-8751-0a91f589c443
This English guide combines, abridges and translates the sources below with AI assistance, with editorial contributions by Churches in Sweden. It has not been independently verified. The adapted guide text is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographs and map data have their own terms.