Norra Möckleby Church
Church environment
N Möckleby church is located on the eastern side of Öland along the road that goes from Föra in the north to Ottenby in the south. The church is located in the northern part of the village where today there are both older buildings and new residential areas. South of the church is the former school house that was built in 1896. The angle of this building is a cantor home that was built in 1927-28. East of the church is the former vicarage today a private resident.
The church
A church was built in N Möckleby in the later part of the 12th century. It consisted of a nave and a tower to the west. Around the year 1200, was another tower erected to the east and the church was turned into a pack-saddle church. The sacristy in the north was added around the year 1300.
Several conversions and extensions were made until the present church was built in 1824. The eastern tower and the nave was demolished and a new nave, designed by the architect JW Gerss was built, to the west Tower was a lantern added and a portal from the medieval nave was transferred to the tower.
This now serves as the church’s west entrance. Apart from the tower, which has an archaic character, the church interior and exterior is built in a neoclassical style with large arched windows, ceilings with wooden barrel-vault and style typical decorative elements in the interior. During the 1900s, the church has undergone four major renovations 1922-23, 1954-55, 1969, 1988.
Memorial grove
The memorialgrove is locatedin thecemetery’ssoutheast corner, it is enclosed by ahedgeofwhite cedarwhichis open towardsthe west.The locationis marked byalimestonecross with the text “Minneslund” (memorial grove), which stands in a planting with shrubby cinquefoil, shrubby juniper and summer flowers. Here is also a standforvasesand a cabinetfor candles and a bench.
Buildings
In the cemetery’s northeast corner is a stone building with plastered facade in white and a roof with red tiles. In the south there are two small openings and two wooden doors. The latter are painted black like other woodwork. Inside the building, the floor is paved with old gravestones. The building is currently used as storage room and tool shed.
In the southern part of Block A is a bell tower and in it is a bell that’s been taken out of service. The bell cast in 1643 by Gert Meyer is cracked but the congregation felt it had a beautiful decor and therefore wanted to preserve it. Architect Nils Carlgren designed the bell tower built in the early 1960s. It consists of two pillars of masonry limestone and covered by a tent roof in wood.
Övrigt
Äldre gravvårdar som tagits bort från kyrkogården är dels uppställda öster om kyrkan, dels sydost om kyrkogården.
Man kan i kyrkogårdsmuren hitta rester av äldre tegelpannor märkta WNS. Dessa kommer från Wärnanäs tegelbruk som var i drift vid slutet av 1700-talet fram till sekelskiftet 1900. En stor del av deras produktion skeppades till Öland. Än idag kan man se rester av tegelbruket norr om den Oxenstiernska byggnaden på Värnanäs.
Other
Older tombstones that’s been removed from the cemetery is displayed in the east of the church, and southeast of the cemetery.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum, Kalmar County Museum
Translation: Visitoland.com