The main Gildeskål church is situated close to an older church dating to the Middle Ages and a vicarage. Today the Gildeskål antique collection is localised here. Towards the end of the 19th century, the old church did not have enough space to accommodate the growing parish. In 1851 a new church law was introduced, stating that rural community churches were required to have seating capacity for 3/10 of the parish. This led to the construction of several new churches in Northern Norway. The new Gildeskål church was completed in 1881 and seated 750 people.

It is a Neo-Gothic long church with a three-part nave. A steeple is adjoined on the west side and the main entrance lies at the foot of this steeple. The choir is a pentagonal-shaped apse which is adjoined on the east side of the church. A saddle roof crowns the church. The building is clad with asbestos cement tiles. These were employed as an economical alternative when they were installed, roughly in 1960. Currently there are efforts being carried out to revert back to the wooden cladding and the original colours, such as the white painted panelling and the ochre coloured cogging joint posts. The nave has two rows of windows, small square shaped windows below and tall arched windows above. This also reflects the longitudinal gallery inside the church.

1881

Carl Julius Bergstrøm

Church

Woodwork

timber

cogging joint method

church

woodwork

timber

log construction

neo-gothic

Eilertsen, Turid Følling: To kirker - tusen års kristendom: Gildeskål kirkested, Fotefar mot nord, Bodø 1996.