the first stone church was begun in the 1130s, remains of which are still preserved in the nave of the church, including a few still usable, carved stone benches, and the base of the tower. the tower was heightened during the 13th century to its present altitude. the choir is the most recent part of the church. it is from the second quarter of the 14th century and replaced an earlier, romanesque choir with an apse. the construction of the new choir was planned as the first step in a major rebuilding scheme; however for one reason or another, the builders seem to have run out of funds and the rest of the plans were never executed - hence the somewhat unusual shape of the church. a similar fate is not uncommon for churches on gotland, as the region suffered an economic downturn at the end of the middle ages.