Photo: Hanna-Lisa Skau
The red-painted church in Norland, Værøy – the oldest church in the Lofoten, built in 1790 – is in terrible condition; the paint is peeling off the church walls. Pastor Maren Ninni Arnesdatter Lockertsen calls for emergency action before the wood really starts to rot.
The decay is the result of the lack of maintenance over many years; it is now in such a state that all planking and windows will need to be replaced. The parish has applied to the council for money to renovate the church; the estimated cost is three million Kroner.
Egil Murud, Head of Cultural Heritage in Nordland, says: “The problem with the old protected churches is that they often have a years-long backlog of maintenance. Repairing them is costly for municipalities, but it is their responsibility.” Neither the county nor the national heritage service have funds for the maintenance of historic churches.
Read the full article by Hanna-Lisa Ska in Norwegian here.
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