Anga church, Gotland

Anga (Vol. IV) church on east Gotland about 40 km from Visby has chancel with apse and a nave which carries the belfry on its western part.

A moulding board (sample no 6) in the relieving arch between the chancel and the apse and a scaffolding timber (sample no 16) date the apse and the chancel. Sample no 16, with waney edge, is in its outermost annual ring dated 1205.

The chancel and the apse might have been completed in 1206. Scaffolding poles (samples no 11, 12, 13) in the eastern wall of the nave all have waney edge and are dated 1239, 1237 and 1240 respectively. All the samples of timber from Anga have been cut in connection with repair and sent to me. The precise location of the timber has not been described to me. The upper part of the east wall of the nave might have been built in 1241.

Sample no 8 is taken somewhere in the belfry. It has a rectangular shape, measures 280x205 mm and has curved corners. It is probable that the edges at the corners mark waney edge because the same annual ring is found in the corners. The outermost annual ring is dated 1253.

As can be concluded from the dating the building faces from east to west has taken place rather slowly. The study of a drawing with measuring plan seems to tell that the church has been built according to an original plan without alterations. We can infer that when the vaults of the nave were erected the shape of the belfry was at least planned. The west wall of the nave has a thickness which is connected to the planning of vaults and belfry. With a repeated on the spot study of the structure the dating of the timber above mentioned might give base for more conclusions concerning the building faces of the church.