Rugsund Church

Rugsund Church
Rugsund kyrkje
View of the church
Rugsund Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county Show map of Sogn og Fjordane Rugsund Church Location in Sogn og Fjordane county Show map of Norway
61°53′14″N 5°20′39″E / 61.8872°N 5.3442°E / 61.8872; 5.3442Coordinates: 61°53′14″N 5°20′39″E / 61.8872°N 5.3442°E / 61.8872; 5.3442
Location	Bremanger Municipality, Sogn og Fjordane
Country	Norway
Denomination	Church of Norway
Churchmanship	Evangelical Lutheran
Website	Rugsund Church
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Architect(s)	Hans Linstow
Style	Langkyrkje ("Long church")
Completed	1838
Specifications
Materials	Wood
Administration
Parish	Rugsund
Deanery	Nordfjord prosti
Diocese	Diocese of Bjørgvin

Rugsund Church (Norwegian: Rugsund kyrkje) is a parish church in Bremanger Municipality in Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway. It is located in the village of Rugsund, on the southern coast of the Nordfjorden. The church is part of the Rugsund parish in the Nordfjord deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin.

Rugsund Church is located on the Hessevågen farm on the mainland side of the village of Rugsund. The church has a seating capacity of 400, and was consecrated on 2 September 1838. The church is a wooden "long church". It was built using plans by the architect Hans Linstow. The church building was remodeled in 1912.

There has been a church in Rugsund (on the island of Rugsundøya) since the 13th century. The first church was a stave church that was replaced in 1650. The present church building was constructed in 1838 after the previous one burned down. The church in Rugsund has a long history, but the church carrying this name today was erected at a different site than the earlier Rugsund churches. When the former church burned down, it had for a long time been a problem that the graveyard at Rugsundøya had such a shallow layer of soil. This was an important reason why a new graveyard and church site was moved to the mainland. As a matter of fact, the soil conditions were so bad at the earlier church site that funeral parties transported masses of soil by boat to the graveyard.

The beautiful location of the previous church on the point above the harbour was a navigational landmark for ships. When the present church was to be built, people demanded a similarly beautiful location. At Rugsund, the church was centrally located with the main entrance facing the sea, and with an excellent view from the church steps across the sound to the island. The churchyard encircles the church, and furthest down to the sea, there is a stately gate that the seafarers in earlier times walked through on their way to church. This was also the place where the vicar went ashore when he came by boat from Davik.