Places with a story
Kvernes stavkirke
Kvernes stavkirke in Averøy changed the accepted history of Norwegian stave churches. Its long, low interior and exterior diagonal supports belong to a timber building now dated to the seventeenth century, showing that stave construction continued after the Middle Ages.
The place1
Research publicized in 2020 established a construction date of 1633, replacing the earlier assumption that the church was medieval. The owner identifies it as Norway's only surviving stave church built after the medieval period. Its nave and baptismal room use stave construction, while the chancel is built from horizontally stacked logs.
History and local connections1
Priest and sawmill owner Anders Erichsen played a central role in the building project. A memorial panel dated 1633 records his contribution. Fortidsminneforeningen has owned the church since 1896. These different dates connect the church's original construction with the later decision to preserve it as a historical building.
What to look for1
The interior contains decorated Renaissance pews, acanthus painting across walls and ceiling, and a suspended model of the frigate Nordstjernen. The 1695 altarpiece incorporates an older late-medieval shrine. Outside, the diagonal supports explain a structural feature of the regional stave-church type: they help resist sideways pressure on the building.
Planning a visit1
Check Fortidsminneforeningen's Kvernes page for the current visitor season, tickets and guided arrangements at Stavkirkeveien 43. The nearby local-history museum offers a different collection and has its own programme. Viewing the church's form outside and seeing the painted interior are complementary experiences, with interior entry governed by the operator's arrangements.
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