Begnadalen Church

Begnadalen Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sør-Aurdal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Begnadalen. It is the church for the Begnadalen parish which is part of the Valdres prosti in the Diocese of Hamar. The brown, wooden church was built in a long church design in 1964 using plans drawn up by the architects Arnstein Arneberg and Per Solemslie. The church seats about 240 people.

History

The first church in Begnadalen was constructed in 1859 using designs by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch. The church was a wooden octagonal building. This church burned down in 1957 after receiving electric heating the year before. After the fire, planning soon began for building a new church. The new church would be built about west of the old church site. The new church was designed by Arnstein Arneberg and Per Solemslie. The lead builder was Ola Svendsen from Begnadalen. The building is a wooden long church with a rectangular nave and a smaller chancel on the east end. The nave and chancel have a stave church-inspired raised middle section. On the south side of the choir there is a wing with a sacristy, meeting rooms and side rooms. The new church was consecrated on 13 September 1964.