Vester Tørslev church / Vester Tørslev kirke, Nørhald herred, Randers amt.

Vester Tørslev Church, 5 km southeast of Hobro
Vester Tørslev sogn, Nørhald herred, Randers amt.

The small narrow church in Vester Tørslev has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions, a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars; both high round arch doors are preserved, the north door bricked-up, the south door is in use. In the east wall of the choir is a bricked-up window, a similar to the north is re-opened, while the original windows in the nave are bricked-up. The choir and nave have flat beamed ceilings, and the small choir arch is preserved with profiled kragsten. The west tower is built in raw granite boulder, it has a pyramid spire, re-newed in 1924. It is from the late Gothic period like the porch. The building was restored in 1950, where a pretty frescoe from the 1300s was brought to light.



The communion table in granite ashlars was re-walled in 1950. Altar piece in Jugend-style from ab. 1900 with painting. Romanesque granite font with lions and human figures. South German baptismal bowl ab. 1575. A small Gothic-like pulpit ab. 1550 . The bell ( damaged by fire?) was cast by Rudolph Melchior. Church ship, the frigate "Effata" from 1924. In the porch is a runestone, which was found by the old road between V. Tørslev and gettrup and where the inscription says: "hala, litu søn rejste denne sten efter sin broder Asulv". ("hala, litu's son raised this stone after his brother Asulv").


(click to enlarge)
Maren Torbensdatter in Tørslevgård is mentioned in 1477. Niels Skade's widow Kirsten Lauridsdatter Munk (Vinranke-M.) of T. lived 1611; she is buried in V. Tørslev kirke.

In the parish is earlier mentioned a farm Vingegård (* 1458 Wingigaardtz marck). Tørslev mølle, which belonged to Mariager kloster, is mentioned 1412 and 1483.



Name in the Middle Ages: Vester Tørslev (* 1447 Thørsløff).

Listed prehistorics: At Tørslev hede a long dolmen without chamber, southwest of V. Tørslev a dolmen chamber Tørslevstenen with a polygonal chamber and cover stone with hollows. Furthermore 20 hills, i.e. the large Tinghøj at a hillside, Bolsbjerge, where were several hills; southwest of V. Tørslev is the pretty Lynghøj.
Demolished or destroyed: A round dolmen, a passage grave, an undefinable stone grave, 37 hills and 3 stone circles.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


photo Vester Tørslev kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

Vistoft church / Vistoft kirke, Mols herred, Randers amt.

Vistoft Church, 20 km from Ebeltoft
Vistoft sogn, Mols herred, Randers amt

The choir and the nave are Romanesque while the western extension with styltetårn (stilted tower) and porch are late Gothic. The Romanesque part is built in raw and cleaved granite boulder with ashlar details. Part of a Romanesque window is seen upon the southern wall of the nave. The cross vault of the choir and the arch are late Gothic. The Gothic additions are built in monk bricks, but heavily repaired. Upon the triumph wall are late Gothic frescoes and in the vault of the choir a.o. Jens Iversen Lange's coat of arms and an emblem. The church restored in 1942, floors yellow tiles and greypainted beamed ceiling in nave and western extension.


Naive evangelist figures from an earlier Renaissance altar piece.

The altar piece is a middle field of a big Renaissance altar piece from 1666, a pair of naive evangelist figures from the same altar piece are on the wall of the nave. Some figures from an earlier Gothic altar piece are exhibited at Ebeltoft Museum. The Romanesque granite font has a smooth basin. South German baptismal basin from 1627. The Renaissance pulpit is from 1627. The pews have an incomplete inscription: "Anno domini 1681 lod PAS og GLD disse stolle indsette." (P. Andersen and Gertrud Lavridsdatter). A confessional is partly made from old pews with relief letters: "CCS IND 1666" like the confessional in Tved church. Church ship "Agnethe", Danmark, 1938. Gothic bell without inscription.


Mols landscape

Names in the Middle Ages:
Vistoft (1443 Westofft); Begtrup (1. half of the 1300s Bekkithorp, Bekkethorp); Fuglsø (1. half of the 1300s Fughlæsiomark); Viderup ( 1578 Viibdrup, 1604 Viderup); Bogens (*1203 Bocnes); Toggerbo (*1446 Toggerboll, 1579 Thogerbo); Læggerholm (1579 Legerholm, Leggerholm); Bogensholm (*1420 Bogensholm); Kærsgård ( 1636 Kiersgaard).

Bogensholm, farm/manor, in 1203 bishop Peder Vognsen in Århus handed over some estate and the forest in Bogens to his church. (Århus Cathedral). At the reformation the farm came to the Crown, which in 1579 exchanged the property to Mourids Stygge of Holbækgård, whose sister's sons Hans and Iver Dyre together with their brother-in-law Jørgen Kruse 1627 sold Bogensholm to Ellen Rostrup, who gave it to her daughter's daughter, whose father Gert Bryske was the owner in 1633. In 1669 Henrik Gyldenstierne sold it to Knud Bille of Skerrildgård, who exchanged it to Predbjørn Gyldenstierne of Møllerup, to which estate it was a part until 1796. Several owners up till the present.

The rampart of the first Bogensholm is situated in a flat meadow east of the present farm, the place is called Enggårdsholmen - it is a low four-sided rise, surrounded by a moat, and it seems to have been divided in one big and two lesser islets.


Mols, a farm.

Rødegård, Vistoft parish, farm/manor, also named Vistoftgård, was built in the 1600s by Bodil Pedersdatter, widow of herredsfoged (district bailiff) Poul Nielsen in Strandkær and later married to Hans Jacobsen of Rolsøgård. Several owners up till present. Rests of a brick-built building were in 1760 found at Rødegård, possibly the farm was placed close to the south east of the church yard, where rubbles were found.


Mols landscape

Vester Mølle (Mill) is listed in class B.; it was in 1959 restored with a contribution from locals and from the National Museum.

In Vistoft parish were two sacred wells, one at Laursesbjerg west of Toggerbro, and one in the dry sand hills Karpenbjerge at Begtrup Mark.

Listed prehistorics: two round dolmens, one long dolmen, 4 dolmen chambers - of which one northwest of Strands , named Stenhuset, has a hexagonal chamber with a cover stone. - 4 indefinable dolmens and 24 hills of which several er rather large: Trehøje north of Fuglsø, Store Jættehøj south of Fuglsø, the two Præstehøje or Brunhøje at Klokkerholm and Lindhøj at Begtrup. In one of the dolmens were found 3 clay pots and some amber pearls.
Demolished or destroyed: 4 dolmens, a passage grave, 4 indefinable stone graves and 25 hills. At Strands is noted a settlement from early Roman period.

Source : Trap Danmark, Randers Amt, 1963

photo Vistoft kirke & Mols, 2003/ 2007: grethe bachmann

Voer church / Voer kirke, Rougsø herred, Randers amt.

Voer church, ab. 12 km northeast of Randers
Voer Sogn, Rougsø herred, Randers amt



The original choir and nave are Romanesque in granite ashlars. The tower is placed to the west and the porch to the south. The impressive south door, which is still in use, has relief-carved picture work - whereas the north door and a priest door in the south wall of the choir are bricked-up. There are rests of window cover stones in the walls. During the late Middle Ages the walls were re-made and a tower was built with pointed arch arcades opening out and with a pyramid spire. The tower was partly built in re-used ashlars in the bottom and in monk bricks above. The choir arch was broadened and in ab. 1500 it was equipped with frescoes of Christ and Mary with the Infant Jesus, restored in 1899.



Sundial and the lion font (click to enlarge)

The inside of the church has a beamed ceiling and has achieved its present look from a main repair in 1950. The communion table is covered in a front panel with paintings from 1590 and the names of the donors from Stenalt: the coat of arms and initials of Jacob Bjørn and Anne Krabbe. The altar decoration is a crucifix, carved by sculptor Eigil Vedel Schmidt in 1953. The old triptychon with the coat of arms of Bjørn Andersen and his wives Sidsel Ulfstand and Karen Friis is now in the National Museum. Romanesque font with lion figures ; two baptismal bowls 1) south German from the end of the 1500s, 2) a larger bowl with engraved ornaments and inscription:" C I F. A I D. 1720". Pulpit in simple Renaissance with a contemporary sounding board. The pews were re-made, but the old gables from 1607 preserved. Upmost in the church are a couple of master and mistress-pews with gables from 1604 and with the coat of arms of Jacob Bjørn and Anne Krabbe. In the choir a parish clerk-chair from 1607 and a priest-chair from 1649. In the wall of the porch is a gravestone walled-in with the year 1431 and an inscription for fru Bolde Mus of Stenalt and her coat of arms; the stone is supposedly much later than 1423. A Romanesque grave stone with a cross is a threshold stone at the door of the porch. An old grave stone, probably from the beginning af of the 1600s, lies in front of the plinth of the tower. Series pastorum in the porch.

In the parish was a farm Kallesgård (* 1375 Kallisgaard), which Bo Leigel in 1375 conveyed to Jens Mus together with his main farm Stenalt.

There are none and it seems there have not been any prehistorics in the parish. - A kitchen midden is known from Voer ferry station.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


photo Voer kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

Voldby church / Voldby kirke, Djurs Nørre herred, Randers amt.

Voldby Church, ab. 6 km north of Grenå
Voldby sogn, Djurs Nørre herred, Randers amt.

The large white-chalked church consists of a Romanesque nave and the bottom section of a tower and a Gothic longhouse choir, a porch to the south and a sacristy to the north. The Romanesque building and the bottom sections of the nave and the tower are in limestone ashlars, and everything indicates that the two building sections are contemporary. From original details is the walled-in north door. In the southside of the nave west of the porch is a round arched window. In the tower's northwestern corner is a winding staircase, and the original entrance to the church was via the tower room.The walls of the nave were in the Gothic period heightened with monk bricks, and the whole church got cross vaults. Later in the end of the 1400s the large porch was built in granite boulders and monk bricks. In its walls are several various niches. A cross vaulted sacristy was also built in the end of the 1400s on the north side of the choir.


The frescoe of a war ship



Interesting frescoes from the end of the 1400s and the beginning of the 1500s were in 1891 brought to light upon the vaults and walls of the longhouse , among others with the coat of arms of the Århus-bishop Jens Iversen Lange. A remarkable frescoe is a large orlogsskib (war ship) Among the frescoes are strange undefinable motives and figures.

The altar piece is bruskbarok from ab. 1660, and it is placed upon a walled communion table in limestone ashlars. A Romanesque granite font with lion figures of Randers-type. A pulpit from 1666 in same design as the altar piece. In the south door, which is placed in a pointed arch frame, is a pretty, probably late Gothic door wing with heavy ironplates and a large lock in træbul. (woodwork). Two church bells 1) from the Renaissance period 2) from 1724 by Fr. Holtmann.


A lion and a unicorn


Strange figures (click to enlarge)

Navne i middelalder:
Voldby (1404 Waldby, 1468 Valby), Sangstrup (*1359 Sauxstorp, 1433 Sanxtorp); Thorsø (* 1423 Torsyø, 1442 Tharsyø, 1468 Tordsø).

A bank, which probably is a castle bank /motte, is situated in the meadow area Hylket between Karlby and Voldby. It consists of two islets, the southern 33 m diameter, 2 m high, the northern 20 m diameter and 1 m high with a distance between them of 13 m. There are no rests of buildings and the hills seem to be just grovel. There is a legend about pirates.

Listed prehistorics: The longhill Melsækken and the group Thorsø Høje, 6 hills ,of which one is the large Kongehøj on the border to Villersø parish.
Demolished or destroyed: 7 hills, of which 6 were in the Thorsøgroup. West of Voldby was a dolmen chamber.

Source:
Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


photo Voldby kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

Voldum church/ Voldum kirke and Clausholm, Galten herred, Randers amt.

Voldum church, 13 km southeast of RandersVoldum sogn, Galten herred, Randers amt


The large church was mainly built in 1606 by Peder Brahe and wife and their son-in-law Otto Marsvin after the old church one Sunday cracked during service and broke down during the night. The building material is big red monk bricks with filling of travertine from the old church in the walls of the new building. Rests from the old church is the late Gothic porch in red monk bricks. Former wall parts from the end of the Middle Ages are also in the western part of the nave which is the vaulted bottom room from an earlier tower. The present tower is equipped with a pyramid roof.

The interior has richly carved Baroque inventory and several monumental gravestones with portraits. The altar piece is from 1678. The pulpit is from the 1600s like the richly carved wooden baptismal font which carries the names of Herluf Trolle and Birgitte Gøye and the year 1570. From the 1600s is also an impressive manor stool and opposite a parish clerk stool. In the oldest tower room is a grating which originally was a choir grating, but now is a border to a burial chamber. The smallest church bell without inscription is from late Middle Ages.


In the choir wall two gravestones: 1) rigshovmester Mogens Gøye (+ 1544) with two wives, Mette Albrechtsdatter Bydelsbak and Margrehe Clausdatter Sture, 2) for his son Axel Gøye ( + 1537) with his carved picture, made in 1543. In the porch is another grave stone for another son Eskil Gøye of Gunderslevholm (+ 1560) with wife Sidsel Bryske (+ 1573) and one for Otte Gyldenstierne (+ 1551) and wife Helvig Gøye, all with portrait figures. A beautiful gilt cross from Sidsel Bryske's coffin is now placed upon the altar.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Voldum (* 1428 Wollum, 1507 Wollom); Hvalløs (* 1472 Hualløss) Rigtrup (* 1463 Richtrup); Clausholm (* 1360 Clausholm, 1426 Claxholm).

Svendsbro mølle was in 1416 among the estate which Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk gave to an altar in Århus domkirke as a penance for his killing Jens Jensen (Brok) of Clausholm; at that time it was situated in Lime parish. In 1477 it was conveyed to the owner of Clausholm. From the end of the 1600s it was named Mellemmølle; it then was part of Hørning hospital which in ab. 1740 was conveyed to fæsteren ( the copyholder).

In the end of the 1800s Revensmølle was demolished (1552 Rebbing Mølle, 1664 Rebens Mølle), but the name is still kept as a house-name. Mellemmølle was earlier named Svendsbro mølle
(* 1416 Swenstorp bromøllne, * 1497 Sanctj Siluestrj and Tome alters mølle, named Suensbromølle), which possibly was situated by a settlement Svendstorp. Furthermore is mentioned the farms Kragballe (1552 Kragballe) and Brendegård ( 1552 Brenndegaard), the last mentioned in Rigtrup, and Flinthuset (1683 Flindthuuszet) between Clausholm and Voldum.

A sacred well , still attended in the 1800s, is at the foot of Kildebakke (a hill) close to the å (water stream) north of Hvalløs.Listed prehistorics: 5 hills of which 3 are in Clausholm forest, one is named Jomfruhøj.

Demolished or destroyed: 37 hills, of which 10 were at the fields of Clausholm and 15 at the fields of Rigtrup. Important burial sites with clay pot graves from early Roman Iron Age were examined at Schildenseje and Rigtrup.

Clausholm slot



In a piece of land, rich in old and historical manors between Århus and Randers, is one of Denmark's largest and most impressive Baroque buildings. Clausholm is marked by the connection to queen Anna Sophie and her dramatic and tragic life story, a Danish queen who spent her last 12 years in banishment at Clausholm more than 200 years ago.

Clausholm is the best preserved herregårdskompleks (manor buildings) in Denmark from the Baroque period. The three-winged main building is built in the 1690s by storkansler (first chancellor) Conrad Reventlow. Most of the interior are from the first half of the 1700s and the first beginning of the Baroque garden started already in 1689.

As soon as in the 1300s was here a large estate which belonged to the family Panter. The Panter -family and other nobility families in Jutland were often in open conflict with king Valdemar Atterdag who in 1359 actually had to conquer Clausholm, which probably was fortificated at that time. Lage Ovesen Panter was one of the leaders of the Jutland rebellion in 1368. It was undoubtedly the conquering Clausholm which was referred to on an inscription in Voldum Church - in the 1800s copied upon a tablet at Clausholm, telling about king Valdemar's destruction of the estate in 1235.



After having belonged to hr. Uffe Nielsen Panter and his son Lave Uffesen (Ovesen) Panter, Clausholm came via Lave's daughter Ide to her husband (Niels) Jens Jensen Brock who in 1404 was killed by landsdommer (High Court judge) hr. Jens Nielsen Løvenbalk, who after this had to enter into a very costy and humiliating atonement. The manor came to Jens Brock's son Lage Jensen Brock (+1435). While he was the owner the house burnt twice. The next owner was his son Axel Lagesen Brock (+1498) and his son-in-law Laurids Albrechtsen Bydelsbak, who died in 1500 as the last male of the family. His son-in-law Mogens Gøye built a new stone house at Clausholm which later was divided between his children Albrecht Gøye and Ellen Gøye, who was married to Mourids Olufsen Krognos. After her death Clausholm went to her son Oluf Mouridsen Krognos, who was married to Anna Hardenberg, whom Frederik II was in love with and wanted to marry. Oluf Mouridsen died at Clausholm in 1573 as the last male of his family - and after him the owner was his mother's brother, the childless Christoffer Gjøe of Aunsbjerg.

Clausholm was in 1686 taken over by grev Conrad Reventlow. He was a rich and powerful man, who later as a storkansler (first chancellor) was in the lead of the Danish government and brought new splendor to Clausholm where he built a magnificent castle. After his death in 1708 Clausholm came to his widow Sophie Amalie Hahn. King Frederik IV and Conrad Reventlow's youngest daughter Anna Sophie had met at a masked ball at Koldinghus and fell passionately in love. The king had a queen, Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow - but in 1712 he abducted the 19 year old Anna Sophie and married her to his left hand at Skanderborg Slot -and appointed her fyrstinde (princess )af Slesvig. When queen Louise died 9 years later, the king married Anna Sophie again, this time to his right hand - and he himself put the crown upon her head . This happened at Frederiksberg slot.



The king bought Clausholm in 1718 and let build additions and equipped the castle with magnificent stucco ceilings and had the panels decorated etc. When Frederik IV died Christian VI treated his father's widow very badly. She was banished to Clausholm where she with a Royal household had a life suiting fairly her social status. Anna Sophie died 12 years later. After her death in 1743 Clausholm was sold by auction and after several owners the estate came in 1800 to gehejmeråd H.H. von Schilden whose descendants is the family Berner Schilden Holsten, still the owners of Clausholm.

Upon a section of the castle motte east of the present building was during excavatings in 1950 found a medieval, about 85 cm broad travertine wall with granite boulder foundation and rests of a walled house. Fire tracks and findings of crossbow arrows make it likely that some buildings were demolished when Valdemar Atterdag had his fights with the Jutland nobility in 1359.

Clausholm Park was established as a French garden with a fine use of the terrain with cascades, fountains and ornamental lakes. Anna Sophie replaced the cascades with stairs and painted statues and extended the park with a long avenue leading to the animal park.

After 30 years of thorough restoration of Clausholm Kim Berner was in 1994 given the Europa Nostra prize for 1993.

There is public access to main building and park. Herregårdsmuseum, butik and café.

Source:
Danske slotte og herregårde, Djursland, bd. 14; Jytte Ortmann: Slotte og herregårde i Danmark; Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963; Niels Peter Stilling: Danmarks slotte og herregårde.



In a field by Alling Å, not far from Clausholm was in 1951 found a mask stone (Århusstenen) from the Viking Period with face, plaited beard and round staring eyes. In ancient times was a crossing at this place of the river and the stone stands in its original place. In excavations are found rests of a bridge in several layers 1) a paved ford from early Iron Age, 2) a solid timber road from the middle of the 700s and 3) another and better bridge from about 1000. The stone was probably painted and was meant as a protection against evil spirits. Copy at Moesgård Museum
foto 2003: grethe bachmann

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.

photo Clausholm 2003, Voldum kirke 2008: grethe bachmann

Værum church / Værum kirke, Galten herred, Randers amt.

Værum Church, ab. 5 km southwest of Randers.
Værum sogn, Galten herred, Randers amt.

The small church has a Romanesque choir and nave and a medieval porch. The choir and nave are in granite ashlars; the south portal has animal figures and windings in the thympanum field, while the north door is bricked-up. From the earliest time is also kept the choir arch with kragsten with animal -windings and a window in the north wall of the choir. The porch, built in the late Middle Ages, was partly rebuilt in 1886.



Inside are flat plaster ceilings. Upon the communion table is a pretty, carved altar piece from ab. 1675 in the carver Henrik Alversen's style, in the middle field a newer painting from the 1800s. A decorated front on the communion table, contemporary to the altar piece. A large Romanesque granite font with lion figures. Upon the triumph wall hangs an early Gothic crucifix. Pulpit from 1877. In the nave is a wooden epitaph for Chr. Pedersen Sommer, set up 1696. Upon the south wall of the nave hangs series pastorum 1691-1796, placed in a Baroque epitaph-frame, probably by the same carver as the altar piece. In the north side of the choir is walled-in a black-painted limestone tablet as a memorial of parish dean Nicolaus Wedel (+ 1779) and wife Elsebeth Ritter (+ 1750) and three children , tablet set up in 1782, a later added memorial inscription for the son parish priest Søren Wedel (+ 1787) and wife Kirstine Bay (+ 1801).


Værum

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Værum (1342 Wærum); Nørgård (* 1463 Nøregaard); Værum Vandmølle (1683 Wærum Mølle).

Hr. Stig Andersen (Hvide) conveyed in 1342 among others his estate in Værum to his brother Uffe Andersen (Hvide). In 1463 pawned Eggert Vestenie Nørregård in V. to hr. Axel Lavesen Brok.

No prehistorics are known in the parish.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963


photo Værum kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

Ødum church / Ødum kirke, Galten herred, Randers amt.

Ødum Church, ab. 12 km north of Århus
Ødum sogn, Galten herred, Randers amt

The large church in Ødum has a choir and nave and a tower to the west. The choir and nave are from the Romanesque period, built in small well-carved travertine stones upon a granite plinth. The church was originally decorated with a frieze, which is kept at the choir, while rests from this are seen in the walls of the nave; in the southeast corner of the choir plinth is a carved male granite head. Above the later built vaults is seen the original wall work: "herringbone patterns". In the southside of the choir was once a priest-door; both the portals of the nave are bricked-up, but traceable. In the late Middle Ages a tower was built, and vaults were built in the whole church, two in the choir, four in the nave. All the north windows have been bricked-up; the church only gets its light from the south. The tower in monk bricks has been higher , but the upper section fell down in 1734; its bottom room was in the 1800s changed into a porch with entrance from the west. The broad circular choir arch has cornice shaped kragsten. In the upper section of the choir walls above the vaults is an unusually well-preserved row of lydpotter (sounding holes), and both here and in the nave and also above the vaults are the rests of a frescoe painted Romanesque band, and a few details from the Romanesque roof work is preserved in the choir.

Upon the walled communion table, which is covered in a Renaissance-panel is a Renaissance altar piece from 1593. The piece has inscriptions on the back from 1635 and 1749 ;it was restored 1896. Simple Romanesque granite font. A pulpit with carved year 1634 ,in the fields the evangelists, initials for Niels Nielsen Fogh (+ 1654), whose chair from 1652 is below the pulpit. Much from the old pews is preserved, i.e. a manor pew with the coat of arms from 1671 of Niels Drostrup of Kollerup and Anne Graves and pew gables from 1678. Baroque epitaph for parish priest N.N.Fogh (+ 1654) and portraits of him and his family, restored 1910.


Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Ødum (* 1330 Ødum); Astrup (* 1425 Astrup); Tåstrup (* 1500 Thostrup); Selling (* 1496 Sellyng); Røved (* 1423 Røffue, * 1477 Reffue); Langskov (1552 Lang skou)); Haraldsmark (1627 Haruldmark, 1633 Harrildsmark, 1664 Harild); Ebbestrupgård (* 1468 Ebbistrup); Tobæk mølle (1607 Thobeck mølle).

Peder Hind got Ebbestrup in Borup 1468 in an exchange with his brother-in-law Nis Prip. 1661 it was by the Crown sold to Gabriel Marselis, and in 1770 it was under Clausholm. At present often change of owner. Belonged since 1953 to E. Bach Andreasen.

Hr. Stig Andersen (Hvide) gave 1330 a farm i Ulstrup and Romme mark to Essenbæk kloster.

The only listed prehistorics is the large Store Lynghøj northwest of Selling.
Demolished or destroyed: 56 hills mostly under Langskov , Gunderuplund, Røved, Selling and Tåstrup. - Early Roman period lerkargrave (clay vessel graves) are known from Ødum mark.

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.


Ødum kirke 2003: grethe bachmann

Ørsted church / Ørsted kirke and Stenalt, Rougsø herred, Randers amt.

Ørsted Church, 17 km east of Randers
Ørsted sogn, Rougsø herred, Randers amt


A Romanesque frieze with Christ and the apostles on the walled-in priest door.

The Romanesque church-which was built in 1150-1200 - with choir and nave in granite ashlars, is the most important in Rougsø herred (district). It is placed in the southern part of the village upon a church yard, which to the west is bounded by a beautiful half-timbered old school wing, where the southern section is a medieval church barn, listed in class B. The tower and the tall porch was built in 1450-1500. Upon the south side of the choir is a little walled-in spedalskheds-vindue (window for the leprous) .The picture work upon the portals are among the richest in Jutland, made by the Djursland stone mason master Horder. The two richly decorated portals are from the first building period.

Upon the triumfvæggen is a simple Gothic frescoe of Saint Olav, painted ab. 1400. Or else the interior shows a rich selection of aristocratic inventory from the Renaissance period as a memorial for the owners of Stenalt. A front panel upon the communion table has the year 1613 with the coat of arms of Anne Krabbe and her husband upon the frame. The pulpit is early Renaissance from 1570-80 with the coat of arms of Bjørn Andersen Bjørn. The two manor stools in the upper section of the church have richly carved gables from 1604 with the coat of arms of Jakob Bjørn and Anne Krabbe and covers with portrait figures of the two founders. The other well-preserved stool gables are from the same period. Below the choir arch is an inscription tablet saying that Anne Krabbe in 1631 gave a silver chalice and silver counter.


The south portal made by Master Horder. In the bottom right corner is probably a founders' picture : a landlord and an elegantly dressed woman. The other picture stones show the Fall. In the thympanum field two wild beasts are fighting.

In the choir wall is a magnificent ligsten (grave stone) with portrait figures of Bjørn Andersen (+ 1583) and his two wives Sidsel Ulfstand and Karen Friis. In the tower is a crumbled stone for the son Jakob Bjørn (+1596) and wife Anne Krabbe (+1618). Other grave stones are for Laurids Mus and his wife Mette Nielsdatter Rosenkrantz (+1436) with a portrait of Mette only, and one for Anders Jacobsen Bjørn (+1490) and his wife Anne Lauridsdatter Mus, both in the tower room - besides several big gravestones upon the church yard at the north side of the church. In the nave is an epitaph of parish priest Thøger Ferslev (+1670) and his second wife Gertrud Jensdatter. The church was restored several times in the present - and a very thorough restoration in 1956.


Under the choir arch is an inscription table, announcing that Anne Krabbe 1631 "gave a chalice and a bowl in silver and let make a new chalice from the old chalice" . This chalice is one of the most magnificent in Denmark from the 1400s and is possibly of Swedish origin. In 1961 a new cup was fit on. In the nave is a big ore chandelier from 1588. The church ship is from 1723.

The double twisted rope is characteristic for the portals and baptismal fonts which especially are known from Djursland. They are ascribed to a stone mason named Horder. The inscription HORDERUS is found on a medieval rune stone (gravestone) in the nearby manor Løvenholm (now on the National Museum). It is not known if Horderus is a personal name or the name of a cloister office. But the double twisted rope gives an indication of time, the last half of the 1100s.

Stenalt Manor

Stenalt, villa-style (Palladian)

Randers fjord

see also the special article about Stenalt which holds more information about the owners and about Stenalt today.

The manor Stenalt is situated in a landscape named Rougsø Herred (district) - which is almost an island bounded by Randers fjord and Kattegat. The manor is mentioned in the early Middle Ages where it was owned during a big part of this period by the family Bjørn. Its present main building in adapted villa-style makes a strange impression in the flat green landscape and tells nothing about the age of the manor.

The medieval Stenalt (Stenholt) was placed ab. 1400 m east of the now existing manor in a low swampy terrain filled with bogs and meadows north of the so-called Tangkær and not far from the village Ørsted. In Danske Atlas the place is mentioned as "some etstate outside the farm on Ørsted Mark"(field). The first known owner was Bo Leigel who in 1375 sold the farm to Jens Mus (he still lived 1406) whose sons Laurits and Strange Mus inherited the farm, Strange Mus later gave his brother the whole inheritance. In 1433 Laurits Mus had from Erik of Pommern confirmed his right of ownership of Stenalt.

In Ørsted Church was earlier a ligsten/oblong portrait stone from 1436 of Laurits Mus and his wife Mette Rosenkrantz. Since Laurits Mus did leave no sons Stenalt came with the daughter Anne (+1581) to Anders Jacobsen Bjørn (+1490) of the famous Hvide-family. Anders Bjørn had a feud with the owner of the neighbouring estate Gammel Estrup about some meadows and fishing in Gudom(Randers) Fjord. His and his wife's demolished portrait stone is in Ørsted Church. The son Bjørn Andersen who was married to Anna Friis and known from the killing of Poul Laxmand, continued the feud about the rights to the meadows and fishing in Randers fjord. In 1494 king Hans awarded him both rights, but in spite of this decision the feud continued in the future.

After the death of Bjørn Andersen his sons Henrik and Anders Bjørnsen became the owners of Stenalt. Anders Bjørnsen , whose wife was Anna Gjordsdatter Drefeld, died ab. 1550, their son Bjørn Andersen den Yngre (Young) (* 1532), became the most important man of the family, the holder of many important offices and the owner af several large estates, among others Vitskøl Kloster, which he rebuilt and gave the name Bjørnsholm. He was married twice 1) Sidsel Ulfstand (+1556), 2) Karen Friis. Bjørn Andersen died in 1583 an was buried in Værum Church. The grave stone in Ørsted Church with a relief of him and his two wives must be considered a memorial stone.


Portrait stone for Bjørn Andersen Bjørn

It was very likely Bjørn Andersen who built the old, now disappeared main building. It was a two-storey three-winged building, it had a chapel and was surrounded by broad moats. Above the castle gate was a stone with the names and coat of arms of Bjørn Andersen, Karen Friis and Sidsel Ulfstand. Karen Friss continued probably the building work, since the king in 1587 ordered a delivery of 200 Gotland balks to her. The son of first marriage, Jakob Bjørn, inherited Stenalt after his father's death. He was a widely travelled and learned man, but hardly as learned as his wife Anna Krabbe (+ 1618), a daughter of Erik Krabbe of Bustrup and fru Margrethe Reventlow of Søbo. Jakob Bjørn died childless 1596.

The present main building in Italian villa style (Palladian)is listed in class B - it is placed upon Bjørn Andersen's motte, and it was built in 1799 by Preben Brahe Schack. The house is yellow washed with white architectonic details.

In 1623 was a runic stone in Stenalt's garden. Fru Anne Krabbe had brought it there from a nearby hill, it was later cleaved and used as building material. In 1913 a piece of the stone was discovered in the farm yard at Christianslund - and it is now upon the lawn in the garden at Stenalt. The original inscription was: "Asser Stufs søn rejste denne sten efter sin søn Broder." (Asser Stuf's son raised this stone after his son Broder.")

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, Djursland, bd. 14; Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.
photo 2003: grethe bachmann

Names in the Middle Ages:
Ørsted (* 1349 Ørstedtt, 1408 Ørsthet); Hevring (1466 Heffringhby); Bode (1408 Bodhæ); Hollandsbjerg (* 1423 Hollandzbierg, 1456 Hollensbergh); Lille Sjørup ( * 1492 Wester Siørup, 1509 Lili Sørop); Stenalt ( *1375 Stienholtt, 1437 Stenholt).

A sacred well is near Hevring mølle.

In the parish was a village Årup (* 1468 Arup Mark). Its name is still in Årup dam and Årup Elle west of Hevring. In the end of the 1600s is mentioned Høkergård (1683 Høckergaarden).

Listed prehistorics: there are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there have been 4 hills. There was a kitchen midden east of Ørsted and north of the town were found several graves from early Roman Iron Age. A rich grave is also known from Ørsted from early Germanic Iron Age with bøjlenåle (a kind of brooch), clay pots, glass- and amber pearls.

Source: Niels Peter Stilling: Politikens bog om Danmarks kirker; Trap Danmark Randers amt, 1963.


photo Ørsted kirke & Stenalt: 2003 / 2007: grethe bachmann