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The present day St Mary's Church dates back to the 13th century, although it is speculated that there might have existed an earlier church of St Mary. The building is constructed from stone, with a slate roof. Two original windows remain in the south wall of the building, the remainder are 19th century replacements.
The tower located to the north east of the building dates from the middle of the 14th century, and currently contains a ring of eight bells. The original bells were installed in 1763, two were added in 1765 and a further two added in 1897.
The font at the church dates back to late Norman times. A local legend suggests that the future King Henry VII, born at nearby Pembroke Castle was baptised at the church, however no evidence of this event exists.
The modern entrance to the church is through a porch on the west side of the building, erected in 1926, accessed from the corner of Northgate Street and Main Street. The historical entrance was through the south side of the church, this doorway now leads to the choir vestry.
The church had fallen into a state of disrepair towards the end of the 19th century and closed in 1875. Four years later, major renovation work was carried out before the church reopened. The current pulpit was donated to the church a year later.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.