Sandnes Church (Vestland)


Sandnes Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Masfjorden Municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the village of Masfjordnes, right on the shore of the Masfjorden. It is one of the three churches in the Masfjorden parish which is part of the Nordhordland prosti in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. The white, wooden church was built in a long church style in 1845 using designs by the architect Eiler Hagerup Holtermann who based his designs on plans drawn by Hans Linstow. The church seats about 370 people.

History

There has been a church on this site for many centuries. The first church was probably a stave church from the middle ages. It is not known when the first church was built, but the baptismal font in the church is dated to the 1100s. The old church was eventually torn down and it was replaced with a timber-framed church. This new church had a nave and a choir. That timber church was torn down in 1845 and replaced by the present church.