Bokenäs gamla kyrka is a medieval church in Bokenäset parish, near Uddevalla in western Sweden. Standing on the site of an ancient sacrificial place, it is notable for its unusually well-preserved, unmodernised interior and its striking 18th-century ceiling paintings.
The church is thought to have been built before 1100, on ground that once held pagan offering bowls found just outside the churchyard wall. It was originally dedicated to Saint Nicholas, with a later altar added for Saint Botulf, and the building was at times known as Saint Botulf's church. During the 13th century, when the nearby Dragsmark monastery was founded, Bokenäs came under its authority.
Built of rubble stone in a shell-wall technique, with walls some 180 cm thick, the church has a Romanesque plan comprising nave, chancel and a semicircular apse, along with a porch that forms the base of a red-painted wooden tower added in the 18th century; before this the church had a freestanding bell tower. Carved soapstone framing around a chancel doorway suggests the building may date back as far as the 11th century. The triumphal arch survives in its original form, and the whitewashed interior retains a notably archaic character, since it has never been substantially modernised.
After the parish moved to the newer Bokenäs church, the old building suffered from neglect in the early 20th century, with holes appearing in the roof and timber tower. It was restored in the 1910s and again more thoroughly in 1974–76 under architect Arne Nygård, reopening in 1977.
The barrel-vaulted wooden ceiling carries paintings from 1770 by Johan Henric Dieden of Uddevalla, including a glory surrounded by angels above the nave and a depiction of the Trinity over the chancel. Dieden also decorated the cornices, beams and the doors of the closed pews with marbling and floral motifs.
Among the furnishings are an oak font from 1765, and an altarpiece and pulpit from 1773 and 1765 respectively, carved by Johan Joakim Beckman and painted by Dieden. The altar painting, west gallery and pew fittings date from the 1600s, and the gallery front, built in 1668, is painted by Baltzar Wuchters with a depiction of Christ and the twelve apostles. Other notable items include a votive ship and an iron-bound poor box from 1737. The present church bell dates from 1961, replacing an earlier one of 1786 that was moved to the new church in 1901.
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Bokenäsets församling
Bokenäsets församling
Bokenäs gamla kyrka is a medieval church in Bokenäset parish, near Uddevalla in western Sweden. Standing on the site of an ancient sacrificial place, it is notable for its unusually well-preserved, unmodernised interior and its striking 18th-century ceiling paintings.
Bokenäs gamla kyrka 101, 451 97, Uddevalla
Explore this church: Bokenäs gamla kyrkaChurch information: Svenska kyrkan, Platser · CC BY 4.0. Each church page includes its credits and visiting notes.
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Blåklintsvägen 18
View church details: S:ta Gertruds 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: 17 Jun 2026. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: 245878fc-708d-4b4e-b472-14652685ac35
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.