A Fine Dog by Skaføgård

He belonged there on Skaføgård, not a dangerous watch dog , but a very friendly one.

photo: gb

Kettrup church /Kettrup kirke, Vester Han herred, Thisted amt.

Kettrup church in 2006, usually the tower is white-chalked.


Interior


Granite baptismal font from 1100s


Pulpit from 1573


Chessboard

Kettrup church has a Romanesque apse choir and nave, a late Gothic tower to the west and porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars. The granite part of the church is from the 1100s like the granite baptismal font, tower and porch in bricks are from ab. 1500.
Both doors are preserved, the south door round-arched, the north door straight. The original windows are kept in the apse and in the north wall of the choir. The apse has inside a later built monk bricks vault, while the re-walled apse arch has Romanesque kragsten. (profiled edge stones) The circular choir arch has a profiled Attic base and profiled kragsten. The Triumph wall is partly dressed in ashlars. About 1500 a late Gothic tower of the same broadth as the nave was built in re-used ashlars and yellow monk bricks. Its bottom room has an octagonal cross vault and a pointed tower arch. A door in the middle storey stands without a stairway. The smooth gable and the faced walls are probably from 1801 and the porch is very likely from the same time as the tower but without details. The building was restored in 1923-24 ( plus renovations in 2006) .On the southern wall are two chessboard patterns.

The altar piece from 1612 is a højrenæssance High Renaissance (in DK ab. 1580-1610) with Tuscany pillars . In the middle field is placed a small house altar piece from 1561, a Netherland work with biblical alabast reliefs. The Romanesque chorus arch is preserved, the stools are from the 1600s. In the middle of the altar piece is a small house altar from 1561 in alabast reliefs from the Netherlands, given to the church by the owner of the manor Aagard, who also gave the pulpit in 1573. A Romanesque granite font with a pyramid foot with archades and animal ornaments. A south German baptismal basin from ab. 1575. The pulpit is from 1573 and likely aa Aalborg-work, in ungrenæssance, early Renaissance(in DK from 1400-1500) with the coat of arms of Henrik Gyldenstierne, Lisbeth Brahe and Mette Rud. Pews from ab. 1600.-25, the upper pews with Ionian pilasters. A large, probably late Gothic coffin with heavy iron mounting and lock. A church bell from the 1300s, no inscription, Gothic shape.


Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Kettrup (1401 Kætthorp, 1447 Kæætrop); Øslev (1470 Øsløff); Husby (1467 Hwsby); Trustrup (*1487 Trudstrup); Drøstrup (1458 Drostrup, 1477 Drøstrvp); Korsholm (*1320 Korsholm); Øster & Vester Keldgård ( 1488 Kielgard, 1552 Westre Kieldgaard, 1664 Øster Kieldgaard); Kragholm ( 1467 Kraagholm, Kragholm); Skærpinggård (1466 Skyerping) Studsgård ( 1664 Stubsgaard); Siggård( 1467 Siigord).

Ågård belonged for a long time to the family Gyldenstierne. The ex-marsk Erik Nielssøn Gyldenstierne of Ågård is mentioned in 1355, where he had to give the king most of his estate, while he still had Han herred and Næsbo fjerding as a vasalry of the Crown. His son Niels Erikssøn died ibefore 1388, his widow Christine was the owner of Å. in 1388. The son Peder Nielssøn (+ between 1409-1412) inherited Å., but also his brother Erik Nielssøn Gyldenstierne of Tim wrote himself as the owner of Å. in 1423 and 1426. He possibly only had a part of Å. and administered it for his brother's son, Niels Pedersøn (+ ab. 1456), who possibly was not yet of age. In the rebellion in 1441 Å. was burnt down and a contemporary tting-witness tells that Niels Pedersen "kom aff sin gardh icke wthen meth en staff i sin handh" (he was completelty ruined). He wasn't a poor man though, since he inherited much estate, i.e. in Han herred and Hannæs, and his son, rigsråd Mourits Nielssøn of Ågård (+ 1503 or 1504) was an eager collector of estates, he owned about 600 farms; i.e. in the nearby area of Ågård he inherited 76 farms. His widow Margrete Turesdatter Bielke died in 1507, and Å. went to the only child Anne Mouritsdatter, widow after Oluf Stigsøn Krognos. A few years later she married Predbjørn Claussøn Podebusk (+ 1541). Anne died in 1545, and in the division of the estate after her in 1550 her son of first marriage Mourits Olufsøn Krognos got one half of Ågård, the other half went to her only child of second marriage Jytte Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk. Her husband, the last Catholic Odense-bishop Knud Henriksøn Gyldenstierne (+ 1568), gathered Ågård estate by buying his brother-in-law's half-part. After this came the son admiral Henrik Gyldenstierne (+ 1592) and his son Knud Gyldenstierne, + childless in 1627. His widow Sophie Lindenov sold in 1630 Å. to her mother Margrete Rosenkrantz, widow after Hans Johansen Lindenov. Later various owners: family Rantzau, Benzon, Hviid, Mylius, Roulund etc.

Between the country road and the main building of Ågård is an overgrown voldsted (castle bank), a large medieval work of two almost square banks with moats, surrounded by a moor
(originally a lake), which was diked by still partly preserved dikes.On the northern bank are still raw boulder foundations and monk bricks. Probably origins from a four-winged plan, but it has not been possible to decide whether these ruins are from the building which was burnt down in 1441. In the moor are some driven in posts. The plan can be registered as a castrum-curia-plan.

In a letter from 1320 is said the Korsholm is owned by the monks of Vitskøl.

In 1467 it is witnessed that Kragholm and all its estate was given to Vor Frue altar in Kettrup Church for masses, which Mourits Nielsen Gyldenstierne of Ågård's ancestors established in the old days.

South of Kettrup is a hillside named Skt. Jørgensbjerg, where was a battle 6/6 1441 between Christoffer of Bayern and the rebellious north Jutland peasants. The peasants, who was lead by the nobleman Henrik Tagesen Reventlow, suffered a bloody defeat. A folksong accuses the morsingboer and tyboer (people from Mors and Thy) of having let down the vendelboerne (people from Vendsyssel), but this cannot be proved. 15/7 1945 a memorial was raised in Husby Hole.

Listed prehistorics: a long dolmen without a chamber at Vester Keldgård, a passage grave Klovenhøj with a 3 1/2 m long chamber with two cover stones south of Kettrup and 19 hills, of which two at Husby are rather large.
Demolished or destroyed: Not less than 126 hills, most of them on the hillside in the eastern part of the parish.

At Husby Hole was a sacred spring, Skt. Jørgens Kilde.

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961.

photo 16 June 2006: grethe bachmann

Gøttrup church / Gøttrup kirke, Vester Han herred, Thisted amt.

Gøttrup Church


Interior


Romanesque granite font with leaf ornaments and pyramid foot.


Upon the northern choir arch is a strange reclining human figure from the 1100s.


Chess board


On each side of the porch door is a walled in tombstone, respectively from 1625 and 1629. They were used as doorsteps at Gøttrup Nørregård but were brought back to the church in 1922 and walled in.

Gøttrup Church has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave and a late Gothic western tower and a porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars. The south door is unchanged with a cover stone while only the bottom sections of the walled-in north door is visible. From original windows is one preserved in the apse with cover stone and frame stone and one in the north wall of the choir as an outside niche. Several window stones are walled-in in the north side of the tower and a cover stone is placed on the south side.

The apse has inside a half cupola and an apse arch with profiled frame stones. The circular choir arch has very various profiled frame stones, which to the north side has a primitive relief of a human figure with outstretched arms. The late Gothic tower from ab. 1500 has the same broadth as the nave and is built in re-used ashlars and yellow monk bricks. The cross vaulted bottom room with a pointed arch has a round arched window to the south. A new wooden staircase leads to a door in the north side of the middle floor. The porch from ab. 1500 has no original details. The choir and nave has beamed ceilings and the roof works are in old oak wood. The whole building was restored in 1924-25 and in 1958-59. A chapel was built at the same time.

The altar piece is in Renaissance from 1585 (triptychon ) and the middle field is a painting from ab. 1700. A Romanesque granite font with leaf ornaments upon the basin and a pyramid-foot with achades. A baptismal basin from 1695. A simple pulpit from 1579 with naive animal-reliefs and a contemporary sounding board. Pews from 1600-25, later restored and changed. At the organ from 1908 are sections from a gallery, probably from 1612. A church bell from ab. 1500 by Albert Poulsen. Epitaph of major Parmo Speitzer, + 1735, and wife. Grave stone: 1) Anders Nielsen + 1625 2) Chr. Chrestensen, + 1629.


Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Gøttrup ( 1447 Gyøttrop).
Kolborg Huse (1552 Koldborrig); Bjergegaarde (1458 Bieræ, 1610 Synnderbierre, 1688 Bierregaard); Sløjhuse (*1508 Sløenn, 1664 Sløien); Stjerslev (1664 Stiersleff); Vestermøllegaard (1610 Westermølle); Korsbæk (1664 Korsbech); Tinglavgaard (1664 Tienlaugaard); Storestrand (1552 Strannd,1664 Stoerstrand); Havgaard (1664 Haffgaard); Nr.Bjergegaard (1552 Nørbierg); V. Drøstrup ( *1508 Vester Drøstrup); Vestenbækgaard (1688 Huuse wed Bechen.)

Kristoffer Frederik Petersen lived in Gøttrup and owned some strøgods ("scattered" estate) - 1795.

In the parish was a farm/manor Brostrup (1610 Broustrup)

The parish with its low-placed land had no special prehistoric settlements, there are no listed memorials, but there were 4 hills, now demolished.

In Gøttrup Rimme was found a depot with 12 flint-planks, and north of G. was noted a settlement from Roman Iron Age.

From the churchyard is a wide view over the landscape and to Kettrup Church.

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961

photo 16 June 2006: grethe bachmann

Lild church / Lild kirke, Vester Han herred, Thisted amt.

Lild Church

Interior

Baptismal font older than the church.


Fine church ship


God's Lamb

Lild Church is in its present look probably the youngest in the district. It has a late Gothic choir and nave, a tower to the west and a porch to the south plus an extension from ab. 1840 to the north. The low building is in its whole probably built in the late Gothic period, likely after 1460. The walls are mostly in raw field stones, although with some monk bricks in the upper sections. From original details are only the south door in a point arched frame and the bricked-up flat round-arched north door.

The inside of the church has beamed ceilings, the choir arch is vaguely curved with simple brick-profiles in the frame stones. The small tower is contemporary with or only a little younger than the nave and in the same materials. It has a pointed tower arch and an octagonal cross vault in the bottom room. The gables are pretty new and the tower was possibly higher than it is now. The porch is also late Gothic but without preserved details except two small flat curved holes in the walls. A cross arm on the north side of the nave is of the same character as the extension at Klim Church from 1847. A Romanesque thympanum with a cross-bearing lamb is bricked-up in the east window of the church and origins from Tømmerby Church. The building was renovated in 1938.

The whole church room was decorated with late Gothic frescoes, which an examination in 1939 showed to be so badly kept that a restoration was impossible. From the original communion table is kept a plate and as an altar decoration is a carved wooden crucifix from ab. 1942 by Axel Poulsen. A simple granite font, medieval, but of indefinable age. A pulpit from the end of the 1500s of the same type as in Gøttrup church. Church bells 1) 1674 by Arent Kleiman in Lübeck 2) cast 1920 by Smith's Støberier in Aalborg for Haderslev Vor Frue.


Bulbjerg Klint

Bulbjergknuden lifts high above the low Stone Age sea land and end out to the sea in a 40 m high steep Bulbjerg Klint (1503 Bwlbierig, 1625 Bulbjerg Klint). It consists of limestone (bryozokalk) from the Cretaceous Period (danium-period) with flat curved strokes of flint. In about 100 m distance out into the sea was the strange pillar Skarreklit, also limestone and flint, which some years ago lifted 15 m above sea level, but it has now eroded to be just a small stone above the water.

Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Lild (1363 Lyllæ kyrky, * 1430 Lille sogen, * 1438 Lillekiercke sogen);
Lund (* 1447 Lundt, 1471 Lundh); Bjerget (* 1504 Biere, 1552 Biergit); Kæret ( * 1553 Wester Kier, 1610 Paa Kierett); Nørklit (1552 Nørre Clitt); Koldkær (1483 Kolkeer); Rotbøl (1470 Rotbøøll); Myrup (1483 Meyrup, 1552 Myrrup); Holegård (1573 Holle, 1664 Huoull); Rolsgaard (1483 Rolszgaardt); Vabesgård (* 1438 Wathbeck, 1664 Wabech).

Rolsgård was a farm belonging to nobility. In 1458 Roldsz jordt and in 1483 Rolszgaardt is mentioned, and in 1538 the owner was Anders Griis, after him his sons Palle Griis (+1577) and Vogn Griis, who wrote himself to R. in 1565. The last mentioned's widow Maren Jensdatter Fredberg lived at R. in 1586. Her three sons Vogn Vognsen Griis, Jakob Griis and Anders Griis (+ ab. 1650) were all the owners of R., while their sister Karen Griis had to give up all her inheritance , since she had married a peasant. Ab. 1650 R. was owned by Jens Vognsen Munk (of the family Kid) whose father Vogn Krag of Nørtorup had a pawn in R. In 1662 Jens Vognsen Munk sold it to a peasant. Various owners.

A farm Kolsgård ( *1442 Kpolszgaard, * 1458 Kuldtzgaardt) or Kvolsgård, is mentioned in 1442, when it belonged to the rural dean of Mors and Han herred, Palle Sonezen. He conveyed in 1447 Maren Madsdatter a part in K ; and the same year Else Ubbis gave her brother Sone Persen her part except a small section land. Some family members later sold their part to Mariager Kloster in 1461. In 1552 was marsk Erik Banner of Asdal and Kokkedal the owner of Kolsgård by deed of conveyance. The farm was named Rolsgård at once occasion which very likely was a mistake.

Mariager Kloster once owned the settlement Klitten (* KLitte, 1452 Clitten), which possibly is identical to Nørklit.

Listed prehistorics: An almost digged-up hill at the church yard. Some stone rows and high upright stones in the desolate terrain south of Bulbjerg, which is covered in shifting sand. The terrain is named Troldting, in places where the sand has blown away is seen large remains from settlements from dolktid (DK 2400-1700 bc) and from Bronze Age, especially flint and clay pot pieces.
Demolished or destroyed: 7 hills, of which 6 hills were on the hillside north of the church.

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt. 1961

photo June 2006: grethe bachmann

Lild Little church /Lild lillekirke, Vester Han herred, Thisted amt.

Lild Little Church is situated by the coast in the fishing village by the North Sea. The building was earlier a lifeboat station.

photo: grethe bachmann

Hansted church /Hansted kirke, Hillerslev herred, Thisted amt.

Hansted Church is a parish church for the Hanstholm citizens and is situated outside the city.


Interior


The Romanesque granite font, a Thybo-type with relief lions.


The Danish word for this bench is 'Degnestol', ( School-Teacher's chair), which was the place where the parish school teacher sat during the church services. In 'the old days' the church did not own an organ, so he was the one who led the hymn singing. It was of course of great advantage if the teacher had a fine voice. This wasn't always the case.


A fine head with a cut off top, carved in wood. He is probably St. Dionysios. It origins from a former side altar and is from ab. 1500.


In the southern wall is an engraved picture of a ship with one mast, probably a trade ship engraved during the Middle Ages while Hanstholm town still had a trading harbour. Later the harbour sanded up. This medieval ship is the model for the modern city Hanstholm's City Arms.


Entrance to Hansted church with a lovely red painted fence. The white chalked porch is from the 1800s.

The small church, which is placed high upon a cliff close to the North Sea, has a Romanesque choir and nave and a porch to the north from the 1800s. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars. The north door is in use but the south door has disappeared. From original windows is one in the north wall of the choir with a monolit cover stone and a window to the east in the north wall of the nave is visible under the plaster. Upon an ashlar in the south wall is a carved a picture of a one-mast ship - and upon the place of the disappeared south door is an ashlar with a carved buesegment (curved segment).

The church inside has beamed ceilings and the pretty shaped choir arch has profiled kragsten. Both the gables are rewalled at present , the west gable in 1862 and the choir gable probably in 1930. The Romanesque granite ashlar communion table has a monolit top and is covered by a panel from the 1850s with copy paintings of Rafael's Angels. The altar piece from ab. 1590 is a Lutheranian triptychon type with a top piece from the 1850s and a painting from 1855. The altar piece came probably originally from Sjørrind church and came to Hansted in 1650. From a former late Gothic side altar piece is a left a pretty male head from ab. 1500 with a cut-off crown, probably an image of St. Dionysius. A Romanesque granite font in Thybo-type with two relief-carved lions upon the basin. A pulpit with sections from the Renaissance but very re-newed in ab. 1862. A parish clerk stool from ab. 1600 with a Renaissance panel. The church bell is from 1794 by D.C. Herbst and is placed in a bricked gallow by the east gable. Earlier the bell-house was placed upon a flattened prehistoric hill at the church yard.


Close to Hansted church is Hanstholm Lighthouse and the Keeper's house, built 1843.



Opposite Hansted church are fields with cattle and a view to the outskirts of Hanstholm. In ancient times the Hanstholm area was a big island. During the Middle Ages the town Hanstholm was an important trading town, which supposedly worked as a center of trade between Norway and the Thy-district in North West Jutland.




Hanstholm Reserve is a huge protected area. The landscape is very beautiful and magnificent with hills, heaths, moors and lakes and creates an important sanctuary for birds. Hanstholm Reserve is of immense geological, botanical and zoological importance.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Hansted (1555 Handsted).
Gårddal (1652 Gaardall); Nørby (1608 Nørhandsted); Bådsgård (1567 Boesgaard, 1582 Bordtzgaard); Hanstholm (*1455 Hanszholm, end of 1400s Hanzstedholm)

Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961.

photo 15 June 2006:grethe bachmann

Hillerslev church /Hillerslev kirke, Hillerslev herred, Thisted amt.

Hillerslev church , Thy, 8 km north of Thisted.

The Romanesque Communion table, a very heavy monolitplate rests upon a heavy circular midpillar. The altar piece is since 1920 a gilt wooden cross in connection to frescoes in the apse behind it.

Interior

The Romanesque granite font is a Thybo-type.


In choir a relief head

High Gothic crucifix in choir from 1350-1400, one of the best wooden sculptures of the district.

The brass crucifix was once a coffin crucifix and later a part of an earlier altar piece. A side wing and some figures from this late Gothic altar piece (ab. 1475-1500) are preserved. This is now placed upon the wall in the tower room together with a heavy Baroque altar piece from ab. 1700. A choir grating from 1698 with figures and reliefs is placed by the south door.

Chessboard


A lion i relief with a human leg in the mouth, above is scratched another lion in the stone.

A human head (bishop?) upon the apse

Animal head upon the apse .

The apse
Hillerslev Church has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave, a late Gothic tower and a new porch. The Romanesque part is built in granite ashlars. The richly decorated apse, (changed in 1886), is split up in five bays with slender pillars. Above every bay is different ornamented corbels of human and animal heads. The rather large east window has in the monolit coverstone a carved lion, and upon the upper frame stone to the south is a relief of a lion with a human leg in its mouth. In the next archades were lesser windows which are now walled-in. The choir has kept its north window with a curved coverstone, and in the north wall of the nave are kept two re-stored windows. Both doors are seen, the south door is in use while the north door is walled-in. Upon an ashlar in the north wall of the choir is a protruding relief head, and in the walls in general are several stone mason fields, among those a chess board ashlar. In the top of the north wall of the choir is placed a fragment of a stone lamp- a small ashlar with three round hollows.
The inside of the church has beamed ceilings and in the choir arch with profiled kragsten is a relief head. The late Gothic tower from ab. 1500 is built in re-used ashlars and yellow monk bricks. In the tower room, which has a pointed arch to the nave, was in 1886 placed a cross vault. A stairhouse on the northeast corner with a spindeltrappe(spiral staircase) and an entrance from the nave leads up to the middle storey. The outer walls of the tower are re-walled. The west gable is probably from 1687, while the east gable is from the second part of the 1800s.
The Romanesque granite communion table has a very heavy monolit top, resting upon a large round middle pillar. As an altar piece is since 1920 a gilt wooden cross in connection to a frescoe in the apse. From a late Gothic altar piece from ab. 1475-1500 is preserved a side wing and some figures. The piece is now placed in the tower room together with a heavy Baroque piece from ab. 1700, similar to the piece in Vesløs Church from 1701. An earlier altar crucifix in brass, originally a coffin crucifix , hangs in the choir arch. A Romanesque granite font in of the Thybo-type. A south German baptismal basin from ab. 1575. A choir grating from 1698 with figures and reliefs placed by the south door. A fine High Gothic choir arch crucifix from ab. 1350-1400, one of the best wooden sculptures of Thisted district, restored in 1930. A Renaissance pulpit from 1645 by cabinetmaker Jens Nielsen from Snedsted with naive archade reliefs. A couple of archade fields from the pews from ab. 1650 are kept. The church ship from ab. 1750-75. Church bells 1) 1641 by Claus V(oillardi?); 2) 1783, by D.G. Herbst.
Gravestones: 1) Romanesque granite gravestone, shaped like a gravetree, decorated with greek crosses; 2) Romanesque double-gravestone in granite, ab. 1200, with reliefcarved coat of arms and cross and the names "Thorchil" and "Mergret, along the edge a crumbled runic inscription, probably a prayer to Virgin Mary; 3 and 4) Romanesque grave stones with relief crosses, but without inscriptions.
Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s: Hillerslev (*1231 Hyldæslef, 1608 Stuor Hillersløff); Skovsted *1435 Skoffzsteth, *1449 Skowesteth); Kelstrup (1458 Kilstrop); Brund (1600 Brondt); Lille Hillerslev (1602 Lilhellersløff, 1608 Nør Hillersløf); Kanstrupgaarde (*1491 Kanstrup); Kortegaarde (*1491 Kortegaardt); Jensbygde (*1497 Jensby); Oddershede (1600 Odershiede); Kilsgaard (*1559 Kieldtzgaardt);
Kelstrup is mentioned earliest in 1458, plus in 1466 ("Kiellstrup") and again in 1497 (Kielstrop"), when the noble man Mogens Kirt sold a farm in the village to his brother Henning Kirt.
Hillerslevhus Manor was earlier a royal castle. By inheritance 1263 Hillerslev and other estate went to Erik Plovpenning's daughters Jutta and Agnes. Hillerslevhus is probably identical to the 'Hyldæslef' , which is mentioned in Valdemar's Jordebog (main part) from 1231. Among the Jute 'kongelev' (king's estate) Valdemar's Jordebog mentions 'Hyldeslef'. Hillerslevhus was in 1460 handed over to Niels Strangesøn Bild . 1423 Henrik Gyldenstierne is mentioned as høvedsmand (army chief) at the castle, which probably was destroyed during the following peasant revolt.

North of Hillerslev village (500 m north of the church) is Hillerslevhus Voldsted (rampart) in the meadow, surrounded by steep banks. It is very levelled now, but in spite of the destruction it is easy to see how it might have looked. Upon the banks were only place for a single house or tower. In a minor excavation were found rests of a pile bridge between the banks. The banks were built up in earth and limestone upon a layer of branches placed upon the original boggy ground. It seems that the buildings upon the banks were timber, but 'munkesten' (early bricks)were found too. The farm belonging to the castle was probably situated upon the higher land area, as it is mentioned in a priest-report from 1638.
Kortegård was in 1491 owned by the Børglum bishop.
In the parish is mentioned in *1483 a farm Kringe; in ab. 1600 the farms Overgård (1600 Offrgrdt) and Dal 1600 Dall); in St. Hillerslev also the farms Keldtoft (1600 Kieldtofft), Ved Kirken (1688 Ved Kirchen) and Hove (1606 Hoffue) south of the church.
Listed prehistorics: 14 hills , among those the large Tinghøj (1638 Gamel Thinge hye) and Styvelshøj and 3 Galgehøje on the hillside south of Hillerslev; plus the long hill Kløvenhøj. - Demolished or destroyed: two long dolmens and 52 hills. - In the southwestern part of the parish are found two Iron Age settlements with house sites.
South of the church was a sacred well.
Source: Trap Danmark, Thisted amt, 1961
photo 14 April 2006: grethe bachmann

Nors church /Nors kirke, Hillerslev herred, Thisted amt.

Nors Church, Thy, 7 km north of Thisted


The simply carved head above the window place


Stone Mason marks


Chessboard pattern

The Romanesque church in Nors is situated upon an idyllic church yard near Nors Sø. (Lake). The church has a Romanesque choir and nave with three late Gothic additions: a tower to the west and a porch and a sacristy (now burial chapel) to the north. Choir and nave are built in the second half of the 1100s in granite ashlars. The three additions are primarily built in monk bricks, but both by the tower and the sacristy are also re-used granite ashlars from demolished walls. Besides two straight angled doors , of which the north door is in use and the south door bricked-up , and the nave has as the only church in the district (except Vestervig church) a western portal leading to the bottom room of the tower. This portal is also straight angled, but on the inside it has a smooth thympanum field with a wedge-pattern. From the original windows the north window of the choir is completely preserved with a monolit coverstone and sill. The east window of the choir is an inside niche. At the choir gable is a above the window place a protruding very raw carved head in granite, and in the walls are several stone mason fields.

The church has inside beamed ceilings and all the walls are contrary to usual practice dressed in well carved ashlars - the large choir arch has profiled kragsten. At the north side of the choir was in the 1500s added a sacristy, the bottom section built in ashlars and above yellow monk bricks. The room which is connected to the choir via a flat-curved door is cross-vaulted and was in 1750 furnished as a burial chapel. The porch is likely from the same time as the sacristy, but built all in monk bricks. The round-arched door was later changed and a flat curved hole in the east wall was replaced by a new flat curved window. The cross vault was taken down in the 1870 and replaced with a flat ceiling. The slim tower is also from the late Gothic period, the south and west side are in ashlars, possibly first from ab. 1800 with materials from the in 1794 demolished church in Torup, but the rest of the tower is monk bricks. Above the round-arched twin-peepholes the tower is crowned with a high square spire. According to a drawing by Abildgård was at the triumph arch the painted coat of arms for Las Ovesen Rød and the coat of arms for the family Munk with the initials MMD and the year 1582.

In the Romanesque communion table which is in granite ashlars with a profiled plate, was in 1891 found a reliquary with a hiding place in lead , containing seven bone splinters and furthermore two silvercoins from the 1500s. The altar piece is a painting by A. Dorph from 1883. A Romanesque granite font of Tybo-type, but four-leaved with almost vertical sides. A square brass baptismal basin from ab. 1650. A choir arch crucifix from ab. 1500 upon a new cross. A pulpit in Renaissance from ab. 1590-1600 with the coat of arms and initials of Las Ovesen Rød and wife D.... Jensdatter Vognsen. A parish clerk stool from 1641. In the western section of the nave is a large gallery from 1641 with paintings of landscapes and Nors church from 1679. The church ship is from the beginning of the 1700s. Church bell from 1842 by P.P. Meilstrup, Randers.

The church yard is surrounded by granite boulder dikes, in which is a big brick-gate from 1626 with a round arched carriage gate and a wicket.



Two Romanesque gravestones

On the church yard and in the church wall are four Romanesque gravestones: 1) one with a crumbled cross; 2) one with a decoration of winding vines, found in 1941; 3) one by the church wall with cross and sword is placed between two cross-decorated gablestones, found in 1941 4) and above this in the church wall is a gravestone with a relief cross and 'uldsax'.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Nors (1343 Nors); Hinding (*1468 Hinning, 1600 Hinnding); Øster Skårup (1580 Skaarup, 1638 Skorup); Søgård (* 1400 Siøegaardt, 1482 Søgard); Døvhule (1586 Døfhal); Vorringgård (1599 Vorninggaaard); Øregård (1477 Yrigardh, 1600 Ørgrdt); Vestergård ( 1600 Westergrdt).


The manor Søgård was in 1482 owned by Las Johansen Rød (family Lunov), in 1516 by his widow Anne Ovesdatter and their sons Johan and Ove Lauridsen and a son-in-law Erik Apend. 1540 Anne Rød (Eriks Spend's widow) was the owner of Søgård. The family Rød were the owners until 1609. Various owners (Sehested, Lykke, Dige, Søegård, Gersdorff etc.) until present.

The medieval manor Søgård was probably built at the same place as the present farm Søgård. The place seems characteristic for a late medieval plan . The places seems to be characteristic for a late medieval plan in spite of modern changes.

In 1343 the former drost Peder Vendelbo pawned his two farms in Nors to Niels Mogensen.

The væbner Mogens Borre in Hinding is mentioned in 1468.


Gold Boats, Thisted Museum

Listed prehistorics:
A long barrow Dåsen, 40 m long, at Hinding and 15 hills, i.e. Thorshøj south of Nors and a large hill at Skibstedgård.

In an urn found by Thorshøj were about 100 little boats made of paper-thin gold from Bronze Age, supposedly a sacrifice - in another urn nearby was a gold ring.

See on blog: Gold Boats

The gold boats are in: Thisted Museum


photo 14 June 2006: grethe bachmann, Nors church, Thy, North Jutland & Thisted Museum.