Böda Church
Church environment
Böda parish is the most northerly parish on Öland. The church and the cemetery are located along road 136 on the road’s west side, in the southern part of Böda.
North of the church is the rectory that was built in 1839, today a private residence, and further north of the church is the school house from 1849.
The Church
The church that was built in Böda during the second half of the 12th century had a small nave, narrower chancel and a semicircular apse to the east.
During the, for Öland, troubled times in the late 12th century and 13th century the church was rebuilt to a defense church. The apse was demolished and the chancel was made as wide as the nave.
Several changes were made in the following centuries, and in the mid 18th century the population of the parish had increased so much that the church became too crowded.
Drawings for a new church were developed but had to be revised, and the construction work was finally carried out 1801-03. To reduce cost the medieval church’s western and southern wall was saved and included in the new church. The new church was built with a tower in the west, a nearly square nave and a vestry in the east.
The church has since it was built undergone several restorations. In 1942 the facing plaster was taken away which made it possible to investigate the ancient walls and thereby get interesting information about the medieval church.
The Church interior and exterior is today characterized of classical stylistic features such as the round-headed windows, the bright church room and the furnishings design.
Memorial grove
The memorial grove was laid out in 1990 in connection with the enlargement of the cemetery. It is located at the middle of the wall which forms the border to the old cemetery and facing south. The memorial grove is a circular area and surrounded by a yew hedge. A pathway paved with limestone leads into the area, and follows the hedge around the whole area.
In the middle is the earth area for the ashes that is sown in with grass, at the south verge is a flower bed for perennials and in the northern part is five black painted wrought iron crosses of various sizes and a place to put flower vases.
Buildings
West of the block B are three buildings. The most conspicuous of these is the morgue, which was built in the late 1940s. The building has walls of limestone and a slated roof. The entrance is in the east with double, dark wooden doors. The gable has a slated deep roof projection and is decorated with a wooden cross.
North of the morgue are two buildings located. The western accommodates garage and storage and the eastern staff rooms and toilets for visitors. Both buildings have plastered facades of pale yellow color and the ceilings are covered with black painted plate.
Other
In the northwest corner of the cemetery is an area for meditation which was established in 1990. Outside of this, along the cemetery wall is a gravel coated area where the tombstones that have been removed from the cemetery are placed.
Outside the cemetery at the lichgate in the north stands a mite box of wood. The first mite box in Böda should have been set up at the initiative of dean Fagerroth in the late 18th century.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum (Kalmar County Museum)
Translation: Visitoland.com