Address 3960 Stathelle, Norway | ||
 | ||
Similar Bamble Church, Herre Kirke, Langesund kirke, Kviteseid Old Church, Kirken på Kapitelberget | ||
St. Olav's Church (Norwegian: Olavskirken) are a ruins in the municipality of Bamble in Telemark, Norway. The church ruins are located next to the newer Bamble Church (Bamble kirke, by the E18 which passes through Bamble.
The church was built of stone before 1150 in Romanesque-Norman style. The church was probably about four feet longer than the ruins suggests, and in this case, Telemark's largest stone church in former times. It had a number of unusual building features, including lektorium and a separate room for earthly values, which today is called Maria's Chapel.
After Protestant Reformation, the church was re-named Skeidi Church. Until 1738 the parish comprised Skeidi parish was Sannidal, Skåtøy, Kragerø and Bamble. Probably the church was the main church in Grenland, a kind of "county church" and therefore had the highest status of all churches in the area.