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Ås kyrka

Address
c/o Grästorps Pastorat Tengenevägen 1, 46730, GRÄSTORP
Municipality
Grästorps Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Skara

Ås kyrka is a medieval parish church in Flo församling, Västra Götaland, standing on a striking mound beside the Dättern shore in northern Grästorp municipality. Its long history, ancient burial site and runic stone make it a notable stop for visitors interested in early Swedish church heritage.



The church was probably built in the early 1100s, its walls constructed of grey fieldstone. Archaeological investigation in the late 1970s revealed that the church stands on a large prehistoric burial mound, originally some 40–50 metres wide and 5–6 metres high, which was levelled to roughly 2.5 metres when the church was built. A test excavation near the north wall uncovered a Late Iron Age grave containing cremated human, horse and dog bones along with boat rivets and a beaver claw, hinting at the site's significance long before Christianity arrived.

The medieval nave was originally paired with a smaller, straight-ended chancel, but in 1745 this was replaced by the present five-sided chancel, and the south wall of the nave was shifted outward to widen the building. A narrower, lower porch at the west end replaced an earlier timber porch that had stood on the south side, and a sacristy was added north of the chancel. The exterior is whitewashed with a slate roof, and new windows were inserted in 1853. A detached bell tower, built in 1818 to replace an older structure, houses two church bells; the smaller bell has been dated to the late 1400s.

Inside, older grave slabs removed during a 19th-century refurbishment were relaid as flooring in the porch before later being mounted on the exterior walls. The oldest commemorates a vicar who died in 1606, while a well-preserved slab honours the last vicar of Ås, who died in 1670.

Among the furnishings are a sandstone font from the late 1200s, an altarpiece made in 1688 by sculptor Georg Basselaque, and a pulpit of 1720 decorated with figures of the four evangelists. An epitaph and a hymn board, both from the mid-1700s, bear the Hebrew tetragrammaton for God's name. A brass chandelier dates from the 1700s.

Built into the north-east chancel wall is a runestone, inserted there during the 1740s rebuilding; its original location is unknown. Dated to the first half of the 11th century, it commemorates a warrior named Karl, raised by his companion Tore. A near-identical stone found in Hobro, Denmark, has led to speculation that Karl died in Denmark and that Tore raised matching memorials in both places. Around a dozen runestones are known from the wider Ås area.

Opening hours

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

Additional opening information is awaiting translation. Check the official visitor-information link before travelling.

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

Facilities & accessibility

  • Parking
  • Ramp

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

A listed ramp does not confirm step-free access throughout the building.

Grästorps pastorat

Ås kyrka

Ås kyrka is a medieval parish church in Flo församling, Västra Götaland, standing on a striking mound beside the Dättern shore in northern Grästorp municipality. Its long history, ancient burial site and runic stone make it a notable stop for visitors interested in early Swedish church heritage.

c/o Grästorps Pastorat Tengenevägen 1, 46730, GRÄSTORP

Explore this church: Ås kyrka

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

Other churches in the same diocese

Basic listing

Väne Åsaka kyrka

Väne Åsaka kyrka stands east of Trollhättan beside road 42, in an area with a long church history. Its oldest fabric dates back to the late 1100s, though much of the medieval building has since…

46195, Trollhättan

View church details: Väne Åsaka kyrka
Basic listing

Kölaby kyrka

Kölaby kyrka is a stone church on the edge of Trädet in Ulricehamn, part of Redvägs församling in the Diocese of Skara. Built in the 1830s in the Empire style, it stands on the site…

Kyrkvägen 1, 520 26, Trädet

View church details: Kölaby kyrka
Basic listing

Kinne-Kleva kyrka

Kinne-Kleva kyrka, in the Kinne-Kleva village of Götene municipality, is a sandstone church built in the round-arched style and completed in 1870. It replaced two medieval parish churches whose sites and remains still survive nearby.

Kinne-Kleva kyrka 1, 533 96, GÖTENE

View church details: Kinne-Kleva 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: 2 Oct 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: dbf1f6ef-ccd3-4970-a1ac-880226da3ba2

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.