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Skepplanda kyrka

Address
Kyrkliden 4, 44640, Skepplanda
Municipality
Ale Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Göteborg

Skepplanda kyrka stands in Skepplanda-Hålanda parish in Ale kommun, Västra Götaland, on a hilltop site that has held a church since medieval times. The present building dates largely from the early eighteenth century.



The medieval church on this high, exposed site was twice wrecked by storms, in 1635 and 1674, prompting a major rebuilding. Construction of the present church began in 1698 and was completed in 1705, incorporating some of the older walls. The nave was lengthened and the chancel given a three-sided end. A tower with a lantern and curved, pointed spire was added to the west in 1753, and a porch on the south side followed in 1756.

The tower's history has not been entirely peaceful: it was destroyed by fire after a lightning strike in 1863 and rebuilt the following year. The church underwent further renovation in 1934 under Sigfrid Ericson.

The most striking feature for visitors is the painted ceiling, completed in 1770 by Johan Burman. The paintings have never been overpainted, though two blocked-up windows meant some retouching was needed in 1970. The chancel depicts the Trinity, while the nave shows the Last Judgement, with Christ enthroned among the twelve apostles and the blessed. On the south side, souls and angels await entry to heaven; on the north, a winged devil drags the damned into the flames of hell. Eight further biblical scenes appear as tableaux along the nave walls.

The pulpit and altarpiece, contemporary with the church itself, are attributed to Marcus Jäger the Elder, and the altarpiece and fixed fittings were painted in 1717–1718 by Sven Wernberg. The medieval font, dating from the 1200s, is no longer here: it was moved to Sankt Peders kyrka in Lödöse in 1731.

According to one account, the church did not entirely escape the disruptions of war either: in 1532 Christian II ('Christian the Tyrant') is said to have crossed the Göta Älv north of Kungälv and advanced to Skepplanda, camping at the church.

Opening hours

Opening hours have not been confirmed for the current date. This does not mean the church is closed.

Check access with the parish before travelling. Services and seasonal changes can affect visits.

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Accessible toilet

Listed by the provider; availability has not been independently checked. An unlisted facility is not necessarily unavailable.

Skepplanda-Hålanda församling

Skepplanda kyrka

Skepplanda kyrka stands in Skepplanda-Hålanda parish in Ale kommun, Västra Götaland, on a hilltop site that has held a church since medieval times. The present building dates largely from the early eighteenth century.

Kyrkliden 4, 44640, Skepplanda

Explore this church: Skepplanda kyrka

Church information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.

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Vallda kyrka is a medieval parish church in the village of Vallda, Kungsbacka municipality, part of the Diocese of Gothenburg. Built of whitewashed granite with a red-tiled roof, it retains a remarkable 13th-century font and…

Vallda Kyrkbyväg 8, 43490, Vallda

View church details: Vallda kyrka
Basic listing

Länghems kyrka

Länghems kyrka, in the village of Länghem in Tranemo kommun, was built in 1834 in the Karl Johan style. It replaced an earlier church that had stood a few hundred metres away and was probably…

Länghems kyrka

View church details: Länghems kyrka

Sources & credits

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: 25 Sep 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 803e42cf-ce63-4ea8-9a7a-6b394c7d1dc2

Guide sources

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.

Suggest a correction

Church data retrieved 24 Sep 2026. Visiting details have not been independently verified.

Sources, licences & reuse

Independent guide

Churches in Sweden is an independent guide. It is not an official Svenska kyrkan website and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement.

Church information

Source: Svenska kyrkan — Platser, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. English adaptations by Churches in Sweden are identified on each profile. Our adaptations solely from Platser are offered under CC BY 4.0. Guides combining Wikipedia with other compatible sources are identified individually and offered under CC BY-SA 4.0; this covers that guide text, not the whole website. Separately credited third-party material retains its stated terms. Independently written descriptions are identified on their profiles. Imported material has not been independently verified. Original names and visiting details are retained; presentation is reformatted. Each profile identifies its source record and any additional supplied credits.

You may reuse the licensed church material under CC BY 4.0, including commercially, with the required attribution, licence link and indication of changes. No additional site restriction overrides those rights. The licence does not automatically cover separately credited images or map data.

Provider disclaimer

Svenska kyrkan supplies Platser data without guaranteeing that it is correct, current, complete across its organisation, or always available. The material is provided as-is and as-available, subject to the licence’s disclaimer of warranties and limitation of liability.

Svenska kyrkan kan ej garantera att den data som finns i Platser:
– är korrekt.
– är aktuell.
– är komplett för hela Svenska kyrkans organisation.
– alltid är tillgänglig.

Preserved provider agreement · Full licence

Automatic diocese associations use the organisation codes from Svenska kyrkan UnitAPI. An association does not establish ownership or denomination. External editorial sources are credited separately.

Map and photographs

Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL and © OpenMapTiles. Tiles and style are served by World Class Maps. Map rendering uses MapLibre GL JS. The map’s own attribution remains visible.

Photographs are credited individually with their own licence or permission. The API data licence does not automatically cover photographs. No images are imported automatically.