Sandby Church
Church environment
Sandby parish is situated on the eastern side of Öland, almost in level with Färjestaden. The church and the cemetery lies a few kilometers east of the main road that runs along the eastern side of Öland from Föra in the north to Ottenby in the south. Around the church there are several farms still active farm. East of the cemetery is a building that originally was the parish poor house and was built in 1871. The last inherent moved from there in 1929. It was converted in 1953 into a parish hall and functions as such today.
The church
Sandby stone church was built in the 12th century, then with a nave and a tower in the east. During the 13th century the western tower was added, which made Sandby church to one of Öland’s pack-saddle churches. In 1782, a major renovation of the medieval church was performed which among other things resulted in that the east tower was demolished.
In the early 19th century a proposal was brought forward to build a joint church to Gårdby and Sandby parishes. The proposal won no support and the two parishes instead started to rebuild their own medieval churches separately.
In Sandby the work began in 1860. The drawings for the new church were made by JF Åbom and master builder was Peter Isberg and his son Isaac from Algutsrum. The new church was built south of the medieval church. For the new church, among other things, the Baptismal font from the 12th – 13th century was transferred. The new church can be characterized, interior and exterior, of the neo-Classical features.
The last major renovation was carried out, 1992.
Memorial grove
The memorial grove was built in 1999 west of Block B. The place is surrounded to the south and to the north by hedges of white cedar. In the northern part is a simple wooden cross.
In front there are plantings and a surface coated with limestone where you can place candles as well as a holder for flower vases. In the south there is a bench.
Other
East of the Church’s chancel is the Patriarchal Cross that was found in 1957. The cross marked with canted limestone’s that are slightly raised above the grass. No one today knows the history of the Cross.
In the southeast corner of the cemetery is a small hill. Here, the temporary blacksmith’s workshop is believed to have been located in the connection to the building of the church in 1860. Here among others was the black smith August Klint working then. He and several other family members are buried here in the so called “Klint hill”.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum, Kalmar County Museum
Translation: Visitoland.com