Hraunskirkja church in Keldudalur
Closed for public visiting
Hraunskirkja, a church made of timber, was constructed in 1885. Hraunskirkja is one of the oldest architectural styles among Icelandic non-towered timber churches.
Keldudalur extends from Dýrafjörður and is located about 10 km west of Þingeyri as the crow flies, although it had limited accessibility primarily by sea.
The church stands just outside the old churchyard, where older churches in Hraun once stood. The church is closed to the public. Its distinctive feature is the wooden shingles on the roof, which were used during its initial construction. However, it was soon covered with iron sheets.
The church was decommissioned as a parish church in 1971 when the valley fell into decline in 1987. At one point, there were plans to demolish the church, but with the support of the National Museum of Iceland, those plans were abandoned, and restoration work took place under the museum's auspices in 1998-1999. It was brought back into use in 2000 and is now under the custody of the National Museum.
Hraunskirkja houses notable artifacts, including a pulpit believed to be the work of Reverend Hjalti Þorsteinsson in Vatnsfjörður (1692-1742). There are two altar panels, one on top of the other. The lower panel bears the inscription "Eggerd Ionsen A. Røyn 1751," while the age of the upper panel remains uncertain.
In close proximity to Hraunskirkja is Gvendarbrunnur, a natural spring, which was the obvious source of water for the church when it was clear.