Nössemarks kyrka stands on a hill above Stora Le in Dalsland, its site chosen when the parish's medieval wooden church at Nolby was abandoned and a new stone church built roughly a kilometre to the east in 1790-94. The building blends several periods, from its 18th-century core to its 1890 tower.
The grey stone church was consecrated in September 1794, replacing the old timber church at Nolby, which had fallen into a state considered beyond repair. A porch was added in 1795, but the tower did not follow until 1890, delayed by the parish's limited finances. The nave has a three-sided chancel end, a steep tiled roof and a notably wide profile in proportion to its length, while inside a tall, vaulted wooden barrel ceiling gives the church a light, spacious feel.
The altarpiece, showing Christ on the cross with mourning figures, was taken down in 1891 and later reinstated during a substantial restoration in 1957-58, when a sacristy was also built onto the north side and new pews and an organ gallery were installed. Accounts differ over the exact origins of the altarpiece and its crucifix: one tradition holds the crucifix is medieval, possibly with Celtic associations, while another source suggests the altarpiece was made across the border in Enningdalen, Norway. The pulpit is thought to be the work of the same joiner who made the pulpit at Håbol church.
Several older furnishings trace back to the original church at Nolby. A soapstone font, in three parts and dated to around the 1200s or 1300s depending on the source, remains well preserved and stands in the south of the chancel. A long wooden chest from Nolby, likely once used as both seating and storage for documents, is also kept in the chancel. The churchyard at Nolby additionally preserves a stone ring cross with apparent Norwegian stylistic influence, thought to be medieval.
The church bells were carried over from Nolby when the old bell frame, found sturdy enough to be reused, was moved to a hillock beside the new church. The smaller bell is a Romanesque piece from the 1200s, comparable to one at Töftedal church, while the larger bell was cast in 1756 in Karlstad, its predecessor having been confiscated by Gustav Vasa in 1531.
The present organ, built in 1868 by the Danish firm Marcussen & Søn, was originally installed elsewhere and was bought from Örgryte old church, arriving in Nössemark in 1958. It retains its original mute façade despite later modifications, and was recorded for a Swedish radio series on church organs in the 1960s.
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Dals-Eds församling
Dals-Eds församling
Nössemarks kyrka stands on a hill above Stora Le in Dalsland, its site chosen when the parish's medieval wooden church at Nolby was abandoned and a new stone church built roughly a kilometre to the east in 1790-94. The building blends several periods, from its 18th-century core to its 1890 tower.
Storgatan 29, 66830, ED
Explore this church: Nössemarks 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: Väse 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: 5 Apr 2023. This is not an independent verification date.
Source record: a1d8af9c-83b6-466d-98a6-cc9f0c9ac425
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.