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Skäfthammars kyrka

Address
UPPSALAVÄGEN 21, 74742, GIMO
Municipality
Östhammars Kommun
Denomination
Church of Sweden
Associated diocese
Diocese of Uppsala

Skäfthammars kyrka is a medieval parish church standing beside the Olandsån stream on the outskirts of Gimo, in Uppsala län. Part of Skäfthammar-Hökhuvuds parish, it is a well-preserved example of late medieval rural church building in Uppland.



The present stone church was probably built in the second half of the 1400s, though a small chapel is recorded as having been visited by Archbishop Olof Björnsson on the site as early as 1316. The rectangular nave has a straight-ended chancel, with a sacristy added to the north (or northeast) and a porch to the south, through which visitors enter. The walls are of rough natural stone, with brick used only around windows and doorways, while the porch itself is rendered and limewashed. A shingle-clad saddle roof covers the building, and, following medieval custom, the north wall has no window openings.

Inside, the church is notable for its extensive wall and vault paintings, thought to date from the late 1500s, depicting biblical scenes without any images of saints. These were covered over during the 1700s and only rediscovered and revealed during a restoration in 1915, led by Sigurd Curman, when the chancel window was also blocked and the original colours of the fittings were restored. A further restoration in 1965, overseen by conservator Sven Carlsson, made no significant changes to the church interior. A distinctive side gallery along the north wall, built in 1682–83, was constructed to accommodate Walloon smiths from Gimo Bruk and their wives.

The font is an assembly of two unrelated parts: a reddish sandstone base dating from the late 1100s or the first half of the 1200s, paired with a grey limestone bowl, pierced for draining water, that may be contemporary with the present church building. The pulpit, carved by Olof Gerdman in a rich Baroque style, was donated to the church in 1754 by Louis De Geer, whose family arms and motto appear above it; due to space constraints it now stands in the southeast corner of the chancel. The altarpiece and pulpit date from the same mid-1700s remodelling, when the church windows were also enlarged.

Other furnishings of interest include an altar painting given in 1887, a copy of a work by the Danish painter Carl Bloch whose original hangs in Hörups kyrka in Skåne. A set of communion vessels dates from 1731, and a six-branched chandelier above the north gallery was donated in 1791. The current organ, installed in 1950 and partly funded by a local baker's donation, is the third instrument to serve the church, following earlier organs from 1787 and 1893.

A detached, timber-clad bell tower stands on a small hill northwest of the churchyard, built in 1747 according to its weather vane. It houses three bells: the largest, given in 1746, bears the De Geer family arms; the middle bell was recast in 1747; and the smallest was cast in 1658 and is rung by hand with a rope.

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
  • Toilet
  • Hearing loop
  • Accessible toilet

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

Gimo pastorat

Skäfthammars kyrka

Skäfthammars kyrka is a medieval parish church standing beside the Olandsån stream on the outskirts of Gimo, in Uppsala län. Part of Skäfthammar-Hökhuvuds parish, it is a well-preserved example of late medieval rural church building in Uppland.

UPPSALAVÄGEN 21, 74742, GIMO

Explore this church: Skäfthammars 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

Harbo kyrka

Harbo kyrka is a medieval parish church in Harbo, Heby kommun in Uppsala län, with origins believed to date from the 1400s, although the parish itself is recorded as early as the 1300s, suggesting an…

Prästgården 104, Harbo

View church details: Harbo kyrka
Basic listing

Björklinge kyrka

Björklinge kyrka stands on a south-facing slope where the Uppsala plain gives way to woodland, some 20 kilometres north of Uppsala. Its whitewashed walls, corner turrets and copper roof make it a familiar landmark for…

Gävlevägen, 743 64, Björklinge

View church details: Björklinge 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: 28 Jun 2023. This is not an independent verification date.

Source record: 425c5c7e-6744-4846-9f0c-76da9226665a

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.

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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.