Gosmer church / Gosmer kirke , Hads herred, Århus amt.

Gosmer kirke, foto: stig bachmann nielsen, Naturplan.dk

The large church in Gosmer was possibly dedicated to Sct. Theobald, since a reliquary was found in the communion table in the beginning of the 1700s, which had a note "in honorem Skt. Theobaldi". The church has apse, choir and nave which repeats the Romanesque building, a late Gothic tower to the west, a porch from 1866 to the south and a chapel to the north. The Romanesque building was totally rebuilt in 1866, probably mostly in the old materials and in its old figure, but strongly normalized. It is built in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, in apse with a double plinth. On the southside of the choir is a priest-portal with half-pillars and tympanum with a characteristic relief of the Deposition. The south portal has also half-pillars and tympanum, but the relief is here a human figure between two lions and two dragons, framed by a foliage edge, related to portals in Tranbjerg and Stjær church. The reconstructed choir arch inside has the old plinth with an arcade frieze. Apse has a half-cupolar vault, choir and nave have a flat loft. The late Gothic tower, where the bottom room is furnished to a burial, is built in monk bricks and has a staircase in the south wall. The upper section is heavily rebuilt in 1775 and especially in 1866. A chapel at the north side of the tower was removed in the rebuild in 1866, and the porch was built and later the chapel at the north side of the nave.

portal

portal, tympanum

apse, pillar with human heads.

stone mason mark

in chapel

The altarpiece is a carving in late Renaissance by Peder Jensen Kolding from 1637 with "somehow sweety" 1800s biblical paintings - an older and rather worn out alterpainting stands behind the altarpiece. Candelabres from 1790 with coat of arms and initials of Joachim O. Schack-Rathlou. A  Romanesque granite font in Horsens-type with lions between cross friezes and leaves and with a palmetta frieze on the foot piece. A South German bowl from ab. 1550 . A sounding board from ab. 1640, probably by Peder Jensen Kolding like a crucifix. A bell without inscription, probably from the 1400s.

A fragment from a Romanesque gravestone is placed above the entrance to the tower . A worn out figure stone for a priest from 1600-1700s.

Gosmer church in a distance

In the tower room an inside burial for the family Rathlou. The tower arch is partly closed by a richly carved epitaph for Chr. Rathlou (+ 1752) and Sophie Schack (+ 1771), whose coffins and several other coffins stand in the room, which is closed by an iron gate from 1759 with their initials. In the cellar several other coffins : with Gregorius Rathlou (+ 1681), and wife etc. In the chapel at the northside of the nave is an inscription table from 1783 and here are three marble sarcophagi by Wiedewelt with Joachim O. Schack-Rathlou and his wife and daughter. The chapel, which has now disappeared at the northside of the tower, contained members of the family Holstein-Rathlou - they were removed to the burial chapel in the forest at Rathlousdal.

Dybvad

Dybvad was a farm under Åkær Manor. The famous professor Jørgen Dybvad (+ 1612) was born here as a son of the tenant Christoffer Eriksen. In 1617 it was inhabited by Ejler Gabrielsen Akeleye; the farm was very dilapidated at that time. In 1630 he got a life's letter on it, but in 1647 he got a letter on Skovsgård and Bjerager Hovgård instead,  whereafter D. was inhabited by Valdemar Lykke. In 1664 D. was with all estate  laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heirs. The son Frederik Gersdorff's guardian conveyed in 1665 D. to Laurits Brorson (+ 1681). After the death of his widow Anne Jakobsdatter Friberg in 1693 some of the heirs conveyed their part in D. to her son-in-law Oluf Friis (+ 1698), priest in Hundslund, who in 1694, together with Magdalene Sibylle Brorson (+ 1734) widow after Iver Joh. Bredal, priest in Dover and owner of 2/7 of D.,  conveyed it to Otte Krabbe of Åkær, who in 1695 transferred the buy to his administrator Mads Nielsen Rosenlund (+ 1696); whose widow Anne Jensdatter Lasson in 1698 married Peder Thøgersen Lasson of Rødslet. In an exchange after him in 1738 D. was taken over by the son Thøger Lasson, who 1750 also became the owner of Åkær, under which D. was placed until 1798, when Diderich Henrik Koch bought it. He conveyed it in 1801 to Mourids Chr. Piper, who in 1806 was allowed to do some out-parcellings (in 51 parcels). In 1809 it was bought back to Åkær, but in 1914 it was sold to Chr. Kreutzfeldt (+ 1953), whose son Bent Kreutzfeldt owned it in 1963.

The main building is listed in class B.

Skovsgård in Søby (later Gersdorffslund) belonged in 1381 to Jens Pors, it is possibly the same farm, which in 1559 under the name of Porsborg was conveyed to the crown by Jørgen Rosenkrantz. The Crown gave in 1572 mayor in Horsens Adser Sørensen a life's letter in the farm, in 1577 he renounced it in return for Hansted Hovgård in Voer herred. In 1633 and 1652 Rasmus Thøgersen is mentioned in P. The last mentioned year he received some timber, when the farm had burnt down. On 1664 P. was with all estate by the Crown laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heir, who from P. and Højbygård and estate established Gersdorffslund. Joachim Gersdorff's son-in-law Gregorius Rathlou (+ 1681) built the halftimbered main building in 1674; it burnt down in 1713 by arson, but was rebuilt at once by the son, Christian Rathlou (+ 1752), who in 1749 incorporated it in his newly established entailed estate Rathlousdal. After the abandonment of this in 1921 G. was in 1921 sold after some outparcellling to Chr. N Lind, who in 1924 sold it to Gregers Juel of Juelsberg, who submitted land to the jordlovsudvalg, before he in 1925 sold the main parcel to T. Viggaard-Jensen. In 1953 it was bought by T Sand, Stidsmølle.

The present main building is a cultured little building-work in the 1840s style. The large three winged avlsgård (farm building) is contemporary to the main building.

Højby (1386 Howby, 1403 Høybye) belonged to Niels Knudsen and went after his death before 1386 to his mother Ingeborg, a widow after Tyge Puder. Her son Bent Puder is in 1406 written of H., and he willed in 1408 half of H. and the main part of the other half to Århus cathedral. His brother Tyge Puder had part in the farm and bought in 1409 his halfsister Marine Knudsdatter's part (she was m. to Iver Munk). The estate was probably inherited by the daughter Abel Tygesdatter, m. to Niels Kalf, for the son-in-law David Saxesen was in 1446 written of H., and his widow Mette Nielsdatter Kalf sold in 1483 her part of H. to the bishop in Århus; in 1518 he complained that H. was used without his allowance. In 1492 H. was written in documents  among the estate of Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz and was laid out in 1499 to his late son Holger's children; Holger Rosenkrantz' son's son Jørgen Rosenkrantz exchanged in 1559 H. to the Crown, who placed it under Åkær. It was later divided in 2 half farms, of which one in 1632 was decided as a residence for a fændrik (soldier). In 1654 Ejler Gabrielsen Akeleye got a half farm in H., and here he lived still in 1662,  80 year old. In 1661 the 2 farms with Åkær were laid out to Joachim Gersdorff's heirs, who let them demolish, the lands were placed under Gersdorffslund.

Bjørnkær (1427 Biørnkiers gaartzsted) belonged to Niels Kalf, whose widow Abel Tygesdatter Puder in 1427 conveyed B. gårdsted etc. to bishop Ulrik in Århus.

Bjørnkær Voldsted (castle bank) in the southeastern outskirt of Vandmoseskoven consists of two square banks, each surrounded and divided by a moat. The eastern bank is on three sides surrounded by an outer, higher placed dry moat. In the excavations in 1930-35 was on the eastern bank found a granite boulder foundation of a monk brick building (ab. 4,5 x 6,5m inside measure), in which western wall was seen a door in monk bricks. In the south and east wall are traces of windows. In the cellar room's northeastern corner was found a well, from which bottom came interesting finds of clay pots, dishes and funnels. This find was shared between Odder Museum and the National Museum. It seems to origin from the 13th or 14th century and must have been used for some kind of destillation.

Gosmer was among the estate, which hr. Niels Brok gave to Ring kloster in 1330, in 1345 Per Jensen of Nim, a canon in Lund and Århus gave G. Church all the new houses, which he had built on the church site in Gosmerholm (1345 Gasæmærholm); in 1444 the væbner Jens Mikkelsen of Gosmerholm is mentioned. G. was possibly placed where Præstholm now lies; P. was earlier an annex-vicarage, but in 1579 the vicar in Ørting-Gosmer was allowed to moved to here, since the vicarage in Ørting had no water; Chr. IV stayed here 20-22 February in 1609 at a journey from Dronningborg to Haderslev.

According to Valdemar's Jordebog the king owned 7 mark gold land in Søby. Fensten was among the estate, which Erik Plovpenning's daughter's son Erik Valdemarsen was given by law in 1327. Lindegård (1372 Lingaardt) in F. was sold by Ilved Andersen in 1384 to Thomes Vestenie, who in 1401 conveyed it to Poul Stigsen (Hvide), who in 1414 sold all his estate in F. to bishop Bo in Århus.

In the parish were the villages Husby (1427 Huszby), who was disappeared in the beginning of the 1400s, and Lemmestrup (ab. 1492 Lemestrup, 1544 Lymmerstrup), which was built 1688 with 5 farms and 2 houses. It was demolished partly in 1674 by the establishment of Gersdorffslund.

A Voldsted, the castlebank of Fensten Hovgaard was placed in the meadow close west of the present farm. The castle bank, which was surrounded by water, is described as being 3-4 m high. It was demolished in 1860, and on that occassion was found a large iron key, which later just disappeared. The leveling has been so thorough that the placement of the castle bank is not visible.      

Listed prehistorics: In Ravnskov is Kæmpehøjen with a passage grave of 10 supporting stones and two  somewhat downfallen cover stones; furthermore a longhill, two hills and a stone with 39 hollows - all in the forests under Rathlousdal.
Demolished or destroyed: 3 stone graves and one hill. 

In a moor at Smederup was found a large wooden vessel with handles, placed in the moor as a well, here were broken pieces from 14 clay pots; not far from here were found 311 bronze rings, armrings, necklaces and eyelet rings - in Celtic Iron age, from where all the finds come, the moor was probably used as a sacrifice place.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Gosmer (1302 Gasæmær, 1534 Gosmer); Præstholm (1534 Prestholm); Fensten (1231 Phynsten, 1438 Finsteen); Smederup (1384 Smerup, 1544 Smerop); Søby (1231 Sæby); Dybvad (1544 Dybwadtt).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.
photo: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Nølev church / Nølev kirke, Hads herred, Århus amt.

photo stig bachmann nielsen naturplan.dk

Nølev church has a Romanesque choir and nave, a late Gothic, very changed porch to the south, a sacristy at the east side of the choir from the late 1800s and a tower to the west from 1952. The Romanesque building in raw granite has no visible plinth and no characteristic details, except the straight edged south door, which is in use, while the north door is only traceable - and a bricked-up round arched window, which is an inside niche in the east wall of the choir, and a similar window, which is vaguely visible in the north wall of the choir. The round choir arch is unusually broad, but it is possibly the original. Both nave and choir have beamed ceilings. The porch is built in monk bricks, it is possibly late medieval in its base, but the gable is re-newed in the 1800s. The gable-tip of the nave to the west is re-walled in 1808 -  it has iron  initials C. F. H. R. (Chr. Fr. von Holstein Rathlou), seen from the middle storey of the tower. In the late 1800s a small sacristy in bricks was built at the east side of the choir.  The tower with gables north-south is built in 1952, possibly upon foundations of an earlier tower.

photo stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

When Nølev church was restored in 1984, frescoes were found from various periods, only five late medieval inauguration crosses in the choir have been kept. The altarpiece is an unsual exampe of a socalled "katekismus-tavle". It consists of joined panelpieces with painted scriptures - here they are replaced by paintings from the 1700s. This altarpiece is the only of this type in Jutland. It was taken down in 1911 and put on the loft, in 1953 it was placed upon the northwall of the nave and in 1984 - after the restoration - it was again used as an altarpiece; in the nave hangs the old altar painting from 1902, which was used as an altarpiece in the intermediate years.

from the granite font

late medieval inauguration cross

Altar chalice from ab. 1700. Late Gothic candelabres from ab. 1520 upon lion figures. A strange Romanesque granite font, almost barrel-shaped, with primitive reliefs, biblical and indefinable animals, made by the same stone mason as the choir arch tympanum in Randlev church. A new bowl. (The font is deep and have been used without bowl). The pulpit is a fine Renaissance work, probably by Peder Jensen Kolding, from ab. 1635 with contemporary paintings and sounding board. In the middle storey of the tower is a bier from 1745 and a model of the church's bellframe, which disappeared when the tower was built.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there was a dolmen just north of Nølev village, a stone grave a little to the east and 3 hills.  

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963
Source altarpiece in the church: the website of Saksild and Nølev church.

photo 11 February 2012: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

Granslev church / Granslev kirke and Bidstrup, Houlbjerg herred, Viborg amt.

 

















The church in Granslev has a Romanesque choir and nave in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, but the building is marked by a thorough rebuild in 1766, when justitsråd Lichtenberg re-shaped the room into Rococo and let build a tower to the west,a porch to the south and a chapel westernest on the nave's north side, all in red bricks. The tower has heavy corner pilaster strips and a timbered spire with onion dome-parts under a closed lantern and octagonal peak. The choir, porch and chapel have Baroque-winded, but flat round arched glares.

Granslev in March

The interior is also marked by the stamp of the Rococo - the choir has a highplaced grat-vault, and the nave has a flat, plastered ceiling, while the tower room and the chapel have grat-vaults and the porch a barrel-vault. Most of the inventory origin from the Rococo-rebuild. The altarpiece, a pompous Baroque- structure, probably from 1742 with a painting of Christ. Upon the choir wall panelwork and side-cupboards from the same period as the altarpiece. Heavy Renaissance candelabres, similar to those in Haurum and Sall church. A late Gothic layman's crucifix. A Romanesque granite font with double lions of the "classic" type. A font-edge in wood in achantus-Baroque, a South German bowl from ab. 1575 with pomegranates. Above the font a small crown shaped sounding board. A pulpit in Rococo from the rebuild like the pews, a manor gallery with very non-ecclesiastical landscape-paintings, all in blue, and an organ gallery and the organ, which in an examination in 1942 showed to contain a well-preserved work from early Renaissance-period. A large Renaissance-chandelier. In the tower a clockwork, which according to inscription is "færdet" in 1582 by fru Sidsel Oxe by Laurids Sejermester W.B. (Viborg?) In the chapel, which was abandoned as a funeral chapel in 1879, hangs a large naive 1700s painting of Christ. In the churchyard a worn out gravestone with a woman figure, who holds a cross in her hand.

 

































Bidstrup belonged in 1345 to Peder Jensen (Galskyt),  later to hr. Jens Falk of Vallø, with whose daughter Kirsten it came to hr. Henning Podebusk, who owned it in 1419 and 1421. His daughter Marine brought it to Hans Eriksen; he was written to the farm in 1461-68. In 1498 it belonged to Henrik Eriksen Rosenkrantz ( + 1500),  whose sister brought it to rigsråd Predbjørn Podebusk (+ 1541). In an exchange after him the main part came in 1548 to his daughter-in-law Ermegaard Bille (+ 1564) and her son rigsråd Erik Podebusk (+ 1573). His widow Sidsel Oxe kept B. until her death in 1593, and hereafter it went to Erik P's maternal aunt Ingeborg Bille (+ 1608). One part of B. had gone to Jytte Podebusk m. to Knud Gyldenstierne; it was inherited by the children Predbjørn and Karen Gyldenstierne, and with the last mentioned the part came to Axel Gyldenstierne of Tim (+ 1603), whose son Knud Gyldenstierne  (+ 1636) seems to have bought Ingeborg Bille's part.The sons Arild and Axel Gyldenstierne inherited B., after the death of the last mentioned in 1637 B. was owned by the widow Christence Lindenov (+ 1681), her daughter Øllegaard Gyldenstierne, m. to the famous Kaj Lykke, inhabited the farm at her death 1697,but she had in 1686 let it over to her son-in law Johan Rantzau (+ 1708), whose daughter Christiane Barbara Rantzau brought it to her husband Verner Parsberg (+ 1719). She sold the farm to high court judge Mathias de Poulson (+1729), whose son-in-law Anders Vinding (+ 1766) outbought his co-heirs in 1732, but in 1749 sold B. to Gerhard de Lichtenberg (+ 1764),  who in 1763 had B. and the church and the vicarage established into an entailed estate.

Later owners:  Tycho Honnens, Geert Honnens de Lichtenberg. In 1963 fru Margrethe Honnens de Lichtenberg.  

Bidstrup is listed in class A.

A castle Ilensborg is said to have been placed upon Grønhøj, an isolated bank in Langkær southeast of Bidstrup, but there is no trace of a castle bank. A similar name is connected to two dubious castle banks in Vejerslev parish. 

Listed prehistorics: 17 hills and 3 longhills, of which one is 70 m long. All these hills except one are placed in the forests of Bidstrup, most of them are small.

Demolished or destroyed: 48 hills, several, which have been examined, contained graves from Stone Age's single grave culture.

At Vrangstrup is examined a burial site with 5 partly rich graves from late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Granslev (1343 Grandeslef); Knudstrup (1472 Knwstorp, 1478 Knudsstrop);  Vrangstrup (1369 Wrongstrup); Bidstrup (1345 Bistorp); Rødemølle (1683 Røe Mølle); Voermølle (1664 Woer Mølle).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo 2006/2011: grethe bachmann

Hundslund church / Hundslund kirke, Hads herred, Aarhus amt.

 

Hundslund churh is a large church, it lies close to the main road of the village. The church 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 on a bevel plinth, and the original wall-openings are exceptionally well preserved: the round-arched south door with profiled kragsten is in use, while the similar door to the north is bricked-up. On the southside of the choir was in 1931 re-opened a priest's door, which tympanum has a deep half circular field, above with a deep band. The choir has to the east one and to the north two round-arched windows, the nave's three windows are all in use, while two similar bricked-up windows are traceable upon the south wall of the nave.

   The broad coir arch stands  inside with profiled kragbånd. In the late Gothic period were built two cross-vaults in the choir,while the nave kept its beamed ceiling. At the same time the heavy tower was built to the west in monk bricks and re-used ashlars. The bottom room with an eight-ribbed vault opens towards the nave in a pointed tower arch. The step-gables of the tower have narrow, close-placed  glares, which upper finish are re-walled in recent times. The walls of the porch are also late Gothic, mainly in monk bricks, but the gable was re-walled in the late 1700s with roof-corniches.

Romanesque gravestone in wall

The altarpiece is a carved work in Renaissance from 1613, according to inscription on the backside made by Mikkel Snedker in Vrold and Laurids Andersen Riber, who painted the crucifixion-painting, which after a restoration was replaced in the large field, while the former altar-painting from 1891 by Chr. Dalsgaard hangs above the door of the porch. The panelwork and the sidepanels of the communion table were about 1700 painted with large apostel-figures, brought to light in 1924. The balustershaped altar candelabres are late Renaissance. A Romanesque granite font in Horsenstype with lions and foliage. A silver bowl after a drawing by Lorenz Frølich, given as a memory about the politician dr. Geert Winther. The former baptismal bowl, south German from ab. 1550, is placed in the choir arch. A very fine late Gothic choir-arch crucifix. A pulpit in simple high Renaissance, made in the year 1600, and given by Esben Jørgensen in Tendrup. Threemaster church ship "Samsø", from 1908-09.

Romanesque gravestone in wall

A large richly carved epitaph in bruskbarok from ab. 1670, set up by Morten Mikkelsen Haderup. In the porch two Romanesque granite gravestones with the names Eline and Martin, and a similar stone inserted in the north wall of the tower. At the church a worn-out priest-gravestone from the 1600s-1700s, and a large stone with Baroque flowers from the 1700s, both inreadable.

At the gate of the churchyard stand four vildtbanesten from 1757 from Åkær manor. (stones used for marking game hunting area). 

Hundslund church was by bishop Tyge in Århus laid out to the canons in Århus after the church warden had killed the dean Ugot and thereby forfeited his jus patronus, which was confirmed in 1284 by the archbishop of Lund.

A place on a field, Søderup, in Hundslund parish is called Kirkegården. Here was once a church, Oldrup church, probably a Romanesque granite-ashlar church. In 1808 were still rests of the building, but there are no visible traces today.

Skablund was in 1542 owned by Rasmus Skade, who still lived in 1547. It was later owned by his son-in-law Niels Madsen  (+ 1566), whose son Mads Nielsen (Skade) in 1585 exchanged S. with mill to the Crown, which at once divided it in two farms and laid it under Åkær manor, from where it in 1661 was laid out to the heirs of Joachim Gersdorff.

Ovdrup was earlier a village of 3 farms and a water mill, Tuemølle. From 1772 a manor with various owners, in 1963 owned by M.P. and K.P. Overgaard.

On the east side of Sondrup Bavn was a sacred spring, which was said to lose its power when a man bathed his sick horse in it.  

A village, Møldrup (1384 Møllerup). disappeared in the Middle Ages.

 
Upon the hillside from Hundslund village, stretching to the east towards the Åkær-valley, lies by the country road Kærsgård Voldsted, a foursided, about 3,5 m high castle bank, which side at the foot of the hill measures about 25 m, on the top ab. 11 m, surrounded by a moat and a weak outer bank or dam, which is hidden to the south under the road dam. The moat is about 10 m broad, but more narrow to the east,where the outer dam is missing. At this side the farm building was possibly placed upon an rectangular flat place surounded by moats. Here are rests of monk bricks. The whole setion of this plan is disturbed by the country road. A spring did put the moats under water, they are now just swamps.

In 1947 Odder Museum started an examination of the top area of the castle bank, and in 1949 it was finished in co-operation with the National Museum. It was noted that a square halftimbered building had been placed on the top area , 6 x 6 m. Some kampestenssyldsten ( loose granite boulder foundation) were preserved, and it was obvious that the building had been destroyed by fire. Among some findings were ten coins, of which the earliest were from Christoffer II's rule. It is probable that the destruction of the castle must be connected to unrests before 1332.

Under the castle bank was a heavy stenkastning (a construction of loose stones)  and traces of pole holes down through the bank might suggest that the stones had supported the original wooden building of the bank, where the supporting poles continued up through the castle bank. This first wooden building was later replaced by the building, which rested upon the foundation of granite boulder stones.


There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were 5 stone graves and 8 hills, of which two contained Stone Age's single graves with war axes.

Claypot graves from early Roman Iron Age were found at Oldrup and Østre Skovgård, the first contained one spur and a gold ring, another a bronze casserole.

Names from the Middle Ages: Hundslund (1264 Hunfund, 1285 Hunzlund); Oldrup (1384 Vldrup, 1408 Oldrup, 1488 Aldrup ); Hadrup (1488 Hardrup); Sødrup (1425 Søderup, 1534 Sødrup); Kærsgårde (1398 Kærsgard); Torup (1462 or 1472 Thoerup); Trustrup (1426 Thrudstrup); Svinballe (1398 Swinebaligh); Sondrup (1384 Sondrup); Tendrup (1534 Tærndrvp, Terustrup); Skablund (1438 Skoblingh); Ovdrup (1489 Ogedrup, 1534 Agdrup); Elkær (1534 Elker).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963. 


photo Hundslund 2008: grethe bachmann

Gylling church / Gylling kirke , Hads herred, Aarhus amt.

The large church in Gylling has a Romanesque choir and nave, a late Gothic porch to the south and a stilted tower from the reformation period to the west. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, and it has kept both straight edged doors; the south door is in use, while the north door is bricked-up, and a round arched window in the choir gable. The choir arch was extended, probably in the late 1400s, when a crossvault was built in the choir. The nave has a beamed ceiling. In the last half of the 1400s a stately porch was built in two storeys, and the rich and well-proportioned gable points to Jens Iversen Lange's building activity in Århus. The narrow tower has to the west a large open round arch. The tower is probably from the reformation period, or maybe a little later. Two heavy supporting pillars at the choir gable are from recent times. 

the stilted tower

In the choir vault is Jens Iversen Lange's frescoe-painted coat of arms, and a later coat of arms above the choir arch has been referred to Jørgen Barnekow, a vasal at Åkær in 1553-59. The stately altarpiece from 1638 is made by Peder Jensen Kolding. The altar candelabres are from 1655, they are balustershaped, resting upon lion figures, paid and given by Mette Hansdatter. Chasuble from 1726. Behind the altarpiece a relief of the evangelist Johannes with painted year 1645. Altar rails from 1735. A Romanesque granite font in Horsenstype with lions and leaves. A South German baptismal bowl from ab. 1550 with initials and coat of arms of Clauss Gagge and Margrethe Mormann, 1637. A late Gothic choir-arch crucifix, repaired in 1923. A pulpit from 1911, carved by sculptor Rasmus Andersen. A gallery in the west end from 1627. Interesting early Gothic bell from ab. 1300 with majuskel-inscription in Latin: "Fru Cecilia lod mig støbe"( Laurids Trugotsen's daughter, m. to Markvard Rostrup).
In the wall of the porch two Romanesque gravestones, one with the name Helene. Inside the porch two gravestones from the 1600s, one with year of death 1642 above a couple with 13 children ( signed with a hammer and blacksmith's tong and the initials HSGS), and the other a little older, above a couple with ten children. In the choir a gravestone for parish priest Dines Guldberg (+ 1758), Ove Høeg-Guldberg's mother's brother.

Romanesque gravestone in wall of porch.

 In the porch a runestone, which was found in 1839 at a barn in Gylling. The inscription: "Toke Troels' søn rejste denne sten efter - - god - -  og risbiik sin broder". ("Toke Troels' son raised this stone after - - god - - and risbiik his brother.")

The king owned some land in Gylling according to Valdemar's Jordebog. Gylling was among the estate, which Erik Plovpennings daughter's son Erik Valdemarsen got in 1327. At the same time lived hr. Lars Truedsen (Trugotsen) of Gylling. His daughter Cecilie. m. to Markvard Rostrup, let cast the church bell. Their son Godskalk Rostrup owned in 1402 estate in Gylling, in 1404 hr. Jep Kalf conveyed to the Crown his estate in Gylling, which his father hr. Erland Kalf had already sold to the Crown.

Gyllingnæs was among the estate, which hr. Niels Brok in 1330 conveyed to Ring kloster. It was before 1436 by hr. Jep Kalf's widow etc. given to Maribo kloster. In 1578 G. belonged to the Crown, and in 1661 Gylling skov (forest) was laid out to the heirs of Joachim Gersdorff together with Åkær, and it followed this estate until John Smith from Altona bought it in 1801.
Later owners: John Thornton, George Smith, Wilhelm Henrik Fr. Mylord from Holsten, Constantin Brun, A.P.V. Krohn, Chr. Fr. Berg, Frederik Grevenkop-Castenskiold. Owner in 1963: fru E.E. Baner. 

Owners after 1963:
1966-1994: Hermann Zobel, 1994-1996: Peter Zobel, !996 - : Troels Holch Povlsen.

 











Gylling vicarage , built 1720 and 1859, is listed in class B.

Listed prehistorics: a disturbed long dolmen in Gyyllingnæs skov.
Demolished or destroyed: a passage grave, a dolmen, 3 stone cists and 10 hills.

At Horskær is an undersea  Ertebølle-settlement, at Gylling two Iron Age-settlements.

Names in the Middle Ages: Gylling (1231 Gylling); Lerdrup (1402 Leirdrup, 1534 Lerdrup); Gyllingnæs (1330 Gyllenesz, 1438 Gyllingsnes).

Source: Trap Danmark,Århus amt, 1963.

photo Gylling 2003: grethe bachmann

Alrø church / Alrø kirke, Hads herred, Aarhus amt

The small church on the island of Alrø has a choir and nave, which probably origins from early Gothic period, and a porch to the north from the late 1700s. The simple whitewashed building is in raw granite boulders, mixed with monk bricks and without visible plinth. From original details are both doors kept, the rectangular north door is in use, the south door is bricked-up. In the eastern wall of the choir is a small, vaguely point-arched window, while the north side is without windows. The choir has an original or very early vault with shamrock-profiled ribs,and the choir arch is round. The nave has a flat ceiling. The western gable of the nave is rebuilt with small bricks in 1772, and a weather vane was put up. The porch, built in granite boulders and bricks, is probably from the same time.

The altarpiece is late Renaissance from 1625 with a signature I H M in the mid-field, brought to light in a restore in 1912. Small baluster-shaped Baroque candelabres, given in 1660 by Henrik Mund, Serridslevgård, and his wife Birgitte Mormand - according to tradition a promise they gave, while they were in distress at sea. A large Romanesque granite font with primitive reliefs of human figures and flying birds. A smooth brass bowl, probably from the 1600s. The pulpit is a simple joinery of recent date. The bell, cast in Brønderslev 1949, hangs in a rack on the western gable - it was earlier in a bell frame northeast of the nave.

The islands Alrø and Endelave (in Horsens fjord)  were in 1661 given by king Frederik III as a godfather gift to the sons of Niels Banner (+ 1670). Around 1700 most of the island Alrø was owned by Just Rosenmeier from Westphalen.  

There are no preserved prehistorics on the island, but there was once a very large long dolmen Alrunes Grave. 

bridge between Alrø and Jutland

At the bridge and in the eastern end of the island are in the beach edge settlements from the Ertebøllekulturen.


Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.

photo Alrø 2009-2011: grethe bachmann

Spørring church / Spørring kirke, Vester Lisbjerg herred, Aarhus amt.

 

Spørring church, foto stig bachmann nielsen, naturplan.dk

The whitewashed church in Spørring, which is placed upon a bank in the village, is a Romanesque ashlar building with nave and  a choir with apse and a later added tower at the western gable and a porch on the south side. The Romanesque section, nave choir and apse are built in granite ashlars on a bevel plinth. The apse has got a profiled cornice, and behind the altar is a bricked-up circular window, visible from outside. Upon the apse wall two chessboards. A bricked-up Romanesque window is in the north wall of the choir and of the nave. Both doors are preserved, the low north door, which is bricked-up, is seen from the inside with a beamed lintel . 

chessboard on apse

indistinct chessboard on apse

The choir arch inside is remade with a pointed arch in the Gothic period, in the south wall is inside a bricked-up opening like an arrow slit, probably a medieval leprosy window. In the late Middle Ages were built starshaped vaults, one in the choir, three in the nave, all with frescoe decoration,  animal motives etc. The press from the vault has pressed the north wall out of place. and it has now been supported by pillars. In the late Middle Ages was built a tower in monk bricks by the west gable with a staircase interred in the north wall. The tower was later, not known when, broken down to cornice height, while a new tower was built in 1935 upon the old bottom with a high spire. The late medieval porch in front of the south door has got steps and a pointed door frame. In the floor of the porch is a Romaneque gravestone with two procession-crosses, on the east wall is a gravestone from the 1700s with a destroyed inscription field. Upon a new communion table is the old carved triptychon altar piece from ab. 1500, very restored, and some ore candelabres from 1655 with the names of Jens Madsen and wife. A Romanesque granite font in the choir. A pulpit from ab. 1700. The church was restored in 1935  (new tower) and 1955 , and medieval frescoes were brought to light.


Asser Rampe conveyed in 1306 his farm in Spørring to Århus chapter.

In the parish is earlier mentioned the farm Adsersgård (1544 Aszersgård)

stone church yard

Upon Spørring Mill's field was in 1879 found 1620 coins from Erik Klipping and Erik Menved's ruling period, digged down ab. 1318.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were 15 hills. Some finds from Iron Age.

Names in the Middle Ages: Spørring (1306 Spyrind, 1439 Spørynge).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.

photo: grethe bachmann and stig bachmann  nielsen, naturplan.dk