Hammer church / Hammer kirke, Kær herred, Aalborg amt.

Hammer Church, 11 km north of Aalborg
Hammer sogn, Kær herred, Aalborg amt

Hammer Church is situated in a lonely place surrounded by forested hills. The choir and two thirds of the nave to the east Romanesque, built in granite ashlars. In the choir wall are traces from an original window. The south door is in use, the north door is walled in with original coverstones. In the late Middle Ages was the western gable broken down, the church was extended to the west in the broadth of the nave, all walls were heightened with monk bricks, and the church got vaults; at the same time was the choir arch extended and pointed. Later was added a narrow tower, which covers an old window in the western gable. The extension and the bottom sections of the tower are built in reused ashlars and large yellow bricks. The porch is built in small bricks.

The altar piece is a painting in a new Gothic frame from 1861 by Lucie Ingemann , at both sides are pillar-rests from earlier Renaissance-inventory and two small late Gothic figures. Small Romanesque font-basin placed upon a larger, almost uncarved foot. Pulpit in Empire with carved year 1807. Pews re-newed 1933, earlier sections are re-used, especially Renaissance-panels along the walls. In a restoration in 1933 was most of the woodwork marbled. In the tower is a church bell from 1510.

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Hammer (* 1503 Hammer, 1512 Hamers S.); Gl. vodskov (* 1406 Wodskoug); Grindsted (* 1472 Grimsted, 1552 Grenndsted, Griimgsted); Sølgårde (1664 Solgaard, 1688 Sølgaard); Østbjerg (* 1472 Øssberg, , 1512 Østbergh); Brødland (* 1467 Gaardtzbrødland, 1553 Brødlund, 1610 Brødland); Møgelmose ( 1553 Mogelmose, 1587 Møgelmosse); Kikkenborg (1683 Kickenborg); Skovlund (1688 Schouen).

Attrupgård was never a nobleman's estate. In 1552 it belonged to fru Eline Gøye. Oluf Munk lived there in 1610, + 1624, after him his widow Bendit Porsdatter Børialsen. Various owners/families: Hardenberg, Brahe, Lunge, Banner etc. Some outparcelling in 1942.


Hammer bakker

At Kikkenborghøj in Hammer bakker was held Kær Herred's Thing from old times until 1688.

The rests of a sacred spring, Helenekilde (or Erikskilde) is southwest of Hammer Church in a hollow. According to Pont. Atlas the vicar Thomas Galschiøth removed a large cross, which was placed in the spring. The vicarage burnt down on the same night (30/10-1603).

When digging for a cellar in a new house for the school teacher in Grindsted were in 1955 found a clay-pot with 2141 old coins.

Listed prehistorics: 4 long dolmens, the chambers disappeared or demolished, among those a 55 m long Stenhøj. Furthermore 28 hills. Very large is the 8 m high Horsehøj. Other large hills Brødlandshøj, Torndalhøj, Møgelbjerg, Ørndalshøj and Kikkenborghøj. All these hills are in Hammer bakker.

Demolished or destroyed: In Hammer bakker 14 hills, of which 2 had a stone chamber, furthermore 8 hills upon a low terrain in the western corner of the parish by the farm Højrimmen.

At Skovlund in Vodskov were found a goldbrakteat and an hourglass-formed necklace jewelry.

Source:Trap Danmark, Aalborg amt, 1961


photo Hammer kirke/ Hammer Bakker 2008: grethe bachmann