Places with a story
Gløshaug kirke
Gløshaug kirke stands high at Gartland in Grong, overlooking the Namdalen landscape. The small timber church preserves medieval objects, early wooden furnishings and a history that includes Sámi gatherings as well as local parish worship.
The place1
The present church dates from around 1690 and partly reused material from an older stave church. Its rectangular nave and smaller chancel form a simple long-church plan. Visible timber inside and the roof turret outside give the building a compact, early character, distinct from the larger nineteenth-century churches nearby.
History and local connections1
An English salmon angler bought the church when demolition was planned after a new parish church was built. The building survived, but decorated doors from its medieval altar cabinet travelled to England and returned in 1923. Earlier, compulsory Sámi gatherings formed part of missionary policy; that history should be understood as religious pressure as well as contact between communities.
What to look for1
Look for the medieval altar-cabinet elements, the pole carried in religious processions, and the small metal fish hanging in the opening between the nave and chancel. These furnishings link the present wooden church with its predecessor. A decorated pew door contains Sámi motifs, adding local cultural meaning alongside the building's architectural features.
Planning a visit12
The regional visitor information offers guided visits by appointment and identifies Gartland as the location. Contact the listed local organiser before expecting the interior to be open. Occasional worship and weddings still take place here. Exterior viewing shows the church's position in the landscape, but a guided interior visit is especially useful for understanding the older objects and complex Sámi history.
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