History
The church was built in about 1470 at the island's highest point, about 8 metres (26 ft) above sea level. The church is of the Møre type, being structurally similar to the larger Kvernes and Rødven stave churches. Because of the barren nature of the island, there is no cemetery on the church grounds, and bodies had to be buried elsewhere, in the cemetery of Bremsnes church, over 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) away over open sea.
It underwent major modifications in 1621 when the walls were replaced, and a flèche was added. Today's windows were installed in the 1870s, and at the same time both a weaponhouse and a sacristy were added. During restoration work in 1933 a new foundation was added, and the exterior walls were panelled. All this rebuilding is why the exterior does not resemble the more typical Norwegian stave churches.
A proposal of relocating the church in 1972 did not materialize. In 2007, the roof and spire were restored and some of the panelling replaced.
Read more about this topic: Grip Stave Church
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