Smedby Church
Church environment
Smedbychurchis slightlywest of the westerncountry roadandfrom the cemeteryyou have a view of theKalmar straitin the west.Around thechurchin the south andeast isagricultural land.
To the west lies a red wooden building that was built in the 18th century butin a different location. In 1848it was moved toSmedbyand became thevicarage,whichit wasuntil 1929, on the plot isalsostorageand barnbuiltin stonein 1917.North ofthe cemeteryisthe churchpasture.
In the northeast corner of the cemetery wall is an old whitewashed building used as a storage area and where there is a toilet and the former elementary school is located just north of the church.
The church
The earliest church on the site was built in the late 12th century and was a Romanesque apse church with a high west tower which was expanded in the 13th century..
The current neo-classical church was built in 1851-53 north of the site where the medieval predecessor stood.
Smedby church is a hall church with a narrower ending of the chancel, a pentagonal sacristy in the east and the tower to the west. The tower is topped by a lantern. The architect of the church was JA Hawerman and builder P Isberg. The exterior is virtually unchanged since construction.
In 1952 the interior was considerably changed, mainly in the remodeling of the chancel. A barrel vault and two side rooms were built and the chancel came to be separated from the church room in general. These changes were led by Ärland Noren.
Inside the church is a Romanesque baptismal font from Gotland, dated to the 13th century and the pulpit is from 1698. In the tower are two bells. The small bell (“Lillklockan”) cast in 1680, the great bell (“Storklockan”) was purchased from the bell caster JP Forsberg in Kalmar 1878.
Memorial grove
The memorial grove is located in the eastern part of the cemetery, in the open lot southeast of the church building. The location consists of a rectangular lawn area. Shrubs of boxwood define the memorial grove in the north and south and in the east by the 110 cm high and 75 cm wide existing stone wall. An elderly black granite tombstone has been reworked and has the word “Minneslund” (Memorial Grove) written on it.
Buildings
Outside the cemetery, and integrated with the cemetery wall is a whitewashed building of unknown age, which is now used as a tool shed, storage room and visitors toilet.
Source: Kalmar Läns Museum, Kalmar County Museum
Translation: Visitoland.com