Sandblast charm
A sublime representative of the classical Danish village church is Hover Church - a small windswept church on the west coast of Jutland. It is one of the first stone churches in the country - and in fact one of the oldest preserved stone buildings in Denmark.With Hover Church, a direct line is drawn back to the very first wooden churches in Denmark. The church is basically the wooden church translated into stone.
Bellunder pent roof
Hover Church is Danish church architecture in its simplest form. The walls are granite. There are only four small, highly placed windows with ordinary glass - not glass mosaics as they are known from other churches.
Nor is there a belfry, so the church does not project above the landscape as most village churches do. One bell hanging underneath a pent roof on the east gable is the modest alternative to the traditional bell tower.
Intact nave
On the whole, the church has been left untouched for 800 years. Except for a restructured roof and a narthex from the 16th century, the church is intact.
Hover Church stands solidly in the tough Western Jutland landscape, its hard-wearing stones spiting the windy climate. At the same time, the simple construction of the building is a reflection of the historic frugality that has characterised nature and people in these parts.
Jeppe Villadsen is a freelance journalist and editor of the magazine KBH.
Hover Church
Photo: Simon Ladefoged