Lade Church

Lade Church is one of the oldest surviving stone churches in Norway. It stands in the Lade district of Trondheim, southeast of the Korsvika bay and east of the Ladehammeren hill. The white, plastered Romanesque building is now a parish church of the Church of Norway, and it ties medieval architecture to the story of the powerful rulers of Trøndelag.

Why visit Lade Church?

For history lovers it is a rare chance to see a building with twelfth-century roots in the middle of a modern city district. The church has a long, simple plan typical of Romanesque architecture: a nave and a narrower choir. Published measurements put the nave at roughly 16.5 by 10.7 metres and the choir at about 7.1 by 7.4 metres. It seats around 160 people, so it feels intimate rather than grand.

Combine a visit with a walk nearby: the fjord shoreline and the green grounds of the old Lade estate are close.

When was Lade Church built?

The stone church is most often dated to around 1160. Sources do not fully agree, though. Some suggest construction began in the 1130s, while others place completion toward the end of the twelfth century. What is known is that a wooden stave church is thought to have stood here in the tenth century, and was soon replaced by a small stone church.

The nave was almost entirely rebuilt in the seventeenth century. The number 1694, carved into one of its walls, is often taken as the year the work finished. The altarpiece dates from 1709 and was a gift from Ellen Rovert of the nearby Lade Gård estate.

The Earls of Lade

Lade was the seat of the Earls of Lade, a dynasty ruling Trøndelag and Hålogaland that was influential from the ninth to the eleventh century. It was one of the key power centres of early medieval Norway. In later centuries the estate passed to Bakke Abbey.

A few historical notes

During the wars with Sweden, and again in the Second World War, the church was used as a food store. Today it serves its regular purpose as the church of the Lade parish, part of the Nidaros arch-deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lade Church still in use? Yes, it is the parish church of Lade in the Church of Norway. Check the parish website for service and opening times before you go.

How many people does it hold? About 160.

What style is it? Romanesque: a white, plastered stone church with a long-church layout.

Where exactly is it? In the Lade neighbourhood of Trondheim, Trøndelag county, east of Ladehammeren and southeast of Korsvika.

Is it really one of Norway's oldest churches? Yes, it is among the country's oldest surviving stone churches, though the exact construction date is given variously, from the mid to the late twelfth century.