Fors kyrka, Medieval church in Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Fors kyrka is a stone church on the west bank of the Eskilstuna River, named after the river. Its oldest parts are the north and west walls of a Romanesque church built around 1000, plus the porch. The nave ends in a three-sided choir with cross-arms added in the 1650s, and the tower, topped by a 1676 spire, reaches 50 metres.
Saint Eskil, an English monk, founded the church in the mid-11th century as a center of faith in the region. In the early 15th century, the tower was added and fundamentally changed the building's appearance.
The church's name comes from the Eskilstuna River, on whose western bank it stands. The Lohe family funded much of the 1650s renovation and received a burial chapel between the north cross-arm and the choir in return. A window in the north cross-arm, inaugurated at Pentecost 1987, depicts the life of Saint Eskil and was made by Bengt Olof Kälde.
The church stands on the western bank of the Eskilstuna River in central Eskilstuna, near the river mouth. The preserved Romanesque north and west walls and the porch are the oldest parts to look for. The interior is normally accessible during parish activities; check the Tunafors parish schedule before visiting.
The tower's spire dates from 1676, and with it the tower reaches fifty metres. In the early 1400s the tower had a simple saddle roof and served as a lookout and defence point against attackers coming along the Eskilstuna River.
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