Urlev church/Urlev kirke, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

The whitewashed church has a Romanesque choir and nave with a modern tower at the south side, which bottom room functions as a porch. The Romanesque section is built in travertine and raw boulder. The north side is almost untouched, but it is supported by six heavy pillars. Inside is the unprofiled round choir arch, while all the south side seems rebuilt in the late Gothic period from the old material, mixed with large amounts of monk bricks, probably contemporary to that a cross vault was built in the choir and two octagonal rib vaults in the nave. From the broad straight-edged doors the south door is in use, while the north door is bricked.The high Gothic west gable has five Gothic glares. A porch, which probably was late Gothic, was removed in 1942, and on its place a tower was built in late Gothic style. All roofs are tiled.

House in Urlev

The altarpiece from 1610 is a joinery in simple high Renaissance with a re-found painting and a decoration from 1757 with the coat of arms and initials of Johannes de Hofman. A later painting, a copy from the 1800s by a Carlo Dolci painting, is kept in the church. Altarchalice from 1710. Late Gothic candelabres with three rings on the shaft.  A small late Gothic crucifix, probably used originally for procession-use. A pretty early Gothic baptismal font, a Gotland limestone work with sepals and a diamond frieze upon a new foot, the old foot stands on the church yard. A smooth dish, probably from the 1700s. The pulpit is a solid carving in Baroque from 1656.  The pews contain parts from 1633, but were re-newed in 1981. A bell from the late 1100s, which has a small engraved consegration-cross with four lesser crosses in the angles.- In the porch under the tower two grave trees. 

Mill between Urlev and Uth.

The væbner Jes Assersen in Urlev is mentioned in 1458; in Spettrup lived in 1484 and 1503 Anders Munk, who had the coat of arms of the family Jernskæg, in 1533 Niels Poulsen (Børialsen).

While digging a ditch in the garden of the sognefoged (parish mayor) in Spettrup were in 1871 found 333 coins from Erik Menved's and Christopher II.'s rule, put down ab. 1325.

There are no listed prehistorics in the parish, but there were one dolmen and 3 hills.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964.

photo 2008: grethe bachmann

Øster Nykirke church/ Øster Nykirke kirke, Nørvang herred, Vejle amt.

The large church Øster Nykirke, consegrated to Sct. Peder, has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch from the second half of the 1800s to the south. The Romanesque section is built in partly very large granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth. The south door is in use; it has two free pillars and a tympanum with half figures of Christ between Petrus and Paulus, influenced by Ribe. The north door, with a low roof-shaped lintel, is bricked. The choir has to the north one, and the nave three round arch-windows.   The choir arch stands inside with profiled kragsten, and the nave has kept its beamed ceiling, while the choir in the late Gothic period had a cross vault. The late Gothic tower is built in monk bricks and re-used ashlars, of which one has a very simple relief of a lion. the tower room opens to the nave in a round arch; it has cross vault upon heavy, point-arched  skjoldbuer ( "shield curves"). A flat-curved door in a pointed mirror on the north side leads to the stairs. The upper section of the tower is re-walled and made lower. It has smooth gables east-west. At the east end of the south wall of the nave is a large bricked curve, which once lead out to a chapel, demolished in 1769; under the chapel was a burial for the family Juel. The porch in small bred bricks is from the second half of the 1800s, since also the choir gable was re-walled with small bricks.


In the choir and the north wall of the nave were found fragmentary frescoes from the reformation period, they were covered again. The communion table, which is bricked in travertine, is covered in a Renaissance panel  from the beginning of the 1600s with portal fields and pilasters. The altarpiece is a large carving in late Renaissance from ab. 1635, with figures from the Holy Communion in the big field, flanked by four Corinthic pillars and Evangelist figures. In the top field reliefs of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. It was together with the pulpit restored in 1921. A chalice from 1656 with the coat of arms of Juel and Ulfstand. Very heavy, baluster-shaped Baroque candelabres. A Romanesque granite font with arcade-row, under which are interesting figures: birds, animals and two fighting warriors.A smooth brass dish from the 1700s. A pulpit in late Renaissance, probably contemporary to the altarpiece and by the same master carver. In the parish clerk stool are rests of pews with the year 1576 and the paternal and maternal coat of arms of Anne Skram. Unusually beautifully cast bell from 1438, consegrated to Sct. Peder, cast by master Peder from Randers.

the church behind the village

Alsted belonged in 1434 and 1459 to Albrecht Barfod (Barfus) and in 1490-1508 to Enevold Jensen (Rafvad), whose son-in-law Peder Skram wrote himself of A. in 1512;  the farm belonged after him to his son-in-law Jens Juel (+ 1563) then to his son Peder Juel (+ 1604), in 1605 to his son Gregers Juel (probably + 1611); in 1612 his brother Erik Juel (+ 1657); the sister Lene Juel owned in 1632 the half of A. and had the same year the king's permission to buy her sister Maren Juel's part in the farm; in 1649 she pawned it to her brother Erik Juel and died unmarried in 1655.
Other owners: Axel Sehested of Stovgård, J.L. v. Müllen of Daugård: outparcelling, main estate to: Poul Glud Langballe of Stovgård,  Jørgen Thomsen, Hans Fønss, J.H Langermann, Jørgen Jørgensen, Carl Frederik Becker of Tirsbæk, Thomas Peter Sabroe, his son and son's son. 1938: G Gerstrøm, 1953 his son E. Gerstrøm.


Upon a bank outside the church yard lies the holy Sct. Peder spring, which is now automated and giving water to the church yard and to the house of the church warden. A Helgenæs spring is also mentioned  a little further away.

Margrethediget

From Nr. Tinnet stretches to the west and across a valley area a now 250 m long (originally double as long) and about 1,5 m high earth bank, called Margrethediget or  Margrethevolden with a moat in front. The broadth of moat and bank is ab. 10 m. The plan must be considered as a road block and nothing is known about its age.

One of the most beautiful sections of Hærvejen passes this parish, Exactly here at the road which is listed together with its surroundings, are the springs of the river Gudenå and Skjernå.

Listed prehistorics: 20 hills, of which 5 are rather large, like two at Nr. Tinnet, Ravnshøj at Oksenbjerg and Skægbjerghøj in Sdr. Kollemorten.
Demolished or destroyed: 248 hills.  

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964

photo 2009: grethe bachmann






    

Ousted church/ Ousted kirke, Voer herred, Skanderborg amt.

The whitewashed church in Ousted is the highest placed church in Denmark with a wide view to the south and east. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions, a tower to the west and a porch to the north from the late 1700s. The Romanesque building is built in travertine and boulder, the choir stands on a pretty plinth which consists of two circular parts, stepped above a horisontal part; the nave is a little younger, it stands upon a beveled-edge plinth. Two very large round arched doors are bricked. The choir had from the beginning a strange form, in spite of the flat eastern wall inside it is a triangular apse, which travertine vault are carried by hjørnetromper (corner-trompes). In the northeast corner is a re-opened low door to a narrow spiral staircase, which leads up above the vault. Under the southern trompe is a piscina with two outlets. The high slender choir arch has beveled-edge bands. In the late Gothic period, probably ab. 1475, was in choir and nave built cross vaults, in the choir one, in the nave four, of which the westernest is very narrow. the vaults are contrary to custom carved into the walls without  skjoldbuer (= the cut-line between the vault and the wall).Later the tower was added in monk bricks to the west. Its rather narrow bottom room, which has a cross vault,opens in a pointed arch in the full broadth of the room towards the nave. A straight-running staircase in the north wall with entrance from outside leads up to the middle storey. The wallwork of the tower is very face-walled, and it had its pyramid spire in ab. 1769.  The porch is probably from the same time.

                                                                              
The altarpiece is a fine carved work in Renaissance from ab. 1600 with two pillars and a triangular top section. Its painting is from the middle of the 1800s. Three carved bishop saints, Erasmus, Dionysios and a NN, which hang in the nave, probably origin from a late Gothic disappeared altarpiece ( ab. 1500s). Renaissance candelabres ab. 1600 (given by?) name: Knud Andersen upon the bell-shaped foot. A heavy, Romanesque granite font of the Sjørslev-type with double lions and achantus trees. A south German dish ab. 1575 with initials KID. As a baptismal jug was used a Romanesque akvamanile shaped as a lion ( now at the National Museum). A pulpit from the beginning of the 1600 with Tuscany pilastres upon the corners and portal fields.

A small shield with the letter P, which curve continues into a small cross left of the vertical stick, it might be a joiner's signature.  The pulpit and altarpiece were restored 1921. A colossal church ship from newer time "Fredericus Quintus". The bell 1591 with the names Christen Mortensen and Knud Andersen in Eir.


Tammestrup belonged in the Middle Ages to Øm kloster. At the reformation it came to the Crown and belonged to Skanderborg vasalry, later to the Skanderbog rytterdistrict (military).When the rytter-estate was sold T. was made a main farm (manor), and it was bought with estate by etatsråd Gerhard de Lichtenberg's widow Bodil Hofgaard in 1767. She had in 1795 a confirmation that the farm must keep its freedom although the estate was sold off, and in 1796 T. was with tiender (taxes) and estate conveyed by her estate to the manager of the farm Rasmus Damgaard, who in 1804 sold off Havreballegård. T came to Hans Andr. Møller, who in 1811 sold it to H. Nic. Sønnichsen, later of Slumstrup, and in a forced sale in 1815 it came to Peter Herschend of Herschendsgave. In 1826 it was laid out to proprietær Jensen, who at once sold it to the manager of the farm Jens Hviid (+ 1842). H.V.C. Güsloff, later of Vester Hovgård, bought in 1843 T. and sold it in 1855 to Harald Valdemar Neergaard (+ 1903), from whom it in 1866 came to Nic Nyholm (+ 1874). When his son A.J.C. Nyholm died in 1896, it was taken over by jægermester J.K. Dinesen of Kragerupsgård, who in 1898 sold it to Christian Adolph Heilmann (+ 1938). Owner in 1964: his son J.E. Heilmann.

Ejergård is from the 1800s. Owners in 1964: C.W. Jacobsen and fru I. Iversen.

Fredenshjem is from the 1850s. Owner in 1964: S. Nielsen.   

Sneptrup præstegård (vicarage) has a main building in half timber oak from 1747.

In a digging in Sneptrup vicarage's forest were in 1876 found a silver cup, in 1878 3 silver spoons and 26 speciedalere, mostly German, from the years 1590-1635, in 1899 were found 9 silver spoons and in 1938 a Nürnbergdaler from 1628,  probably everything belonged to the same treasure, hidden during the Torstenssonkrigen 1643-45 (Swedish war).

Ejer Bavnehøj with tower seen from highway.

Upon Ejer Bavnehøj,which is the next highest point in Denmark, was in 1924 raised a square viewing tower in red bricks. The surroundings are listed.

In a hollow in Tebstrup village, ab. 200 m east of the country road, is the medieval castle bank Voldhøj, a square ab. 3 m high bank, which measures ab. 20 m at the foot. The terrain around the bank is very leveled out, but it seems there have been double moats to the south and east and a single moat to the west, while the bank to the north faces the original swampy meadow. The top surface slopes to the northwest. Upon the north side is a cut, from where the earth was used for the moat. The farm building of the castle was probably at the weak ridge, which stretches from south to the castle bank.

Listed prehistorics: a long dolmen with a cover stone above the chamber in Balleskov and the rather large Staghøj at the eastern border north of Tebstrup.
Demolished or destroyed: 38 hills; one was upon Ejer Bavnehøj.  

At Ris-Tebstrup school was found an important settlement and an iron extraction-place from Celtic Iron Age; a settlement from the same period is known from Tammestrup.

Names in the Middle Ages: Ovsted kirke (1403 Ousted sogenn, 1413 Ousted kircke);  Sneptrup præstegård (1459 Sneptrup); Tebstrup (1373 Typstrop marck); Ris (1444 Aggisted ris, 1445 Rijsz; Ejer (1437 Eyer marck, 1492 Eyerd); Elling (1234 Jlingh, 1470 Elling); Bjødstrup (1488 Biornstrup marck, Biornestrup); Tammestrup (1283 Thumestrup marck, 1373 Thomistrop); Ejergård (1499 Eyergaardt).  

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.

photo 2002/2007: grethe bachmann

Nim church, Nim kirke, Nim herred, Skanderborg amt.

The highplaced church in Nimb has a Romanesque choir and nave a late Gothic western tower and a porch to the south. The Romanesque sections are in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth , which is now only visible in a few places. From original details are seen the bricked north window of the choir, the choir arch, which has profiled kragbånd with rope sticks and lion reliefs and the two straight edged doors of the nave, of which the northern is blinded. Upon an ashlar in the north wall is a cup-shaped hollow. The low tower, which probably has been higher, is in raw boulder and monk bricks, and supplemented with ashlars from the demolished western gable of the nave; in the south wall is seen a monolith lintel from a Romanesque window and - as an inside glare - a flatcurved door opening. The tower room is in connection with the nave in a round arched arcade. The whole church has a beamed ceiling.  The porch is probably Gothic, but rebuilt in present times.   

A bricked altar with a Renaissance panel upon the front. The altarpiece is since 1959 a painting by A. Schumann in Horsens 1837 in a simple contemporary frame. The earlier altarpiece, a copy from 1907 of a painting by Carl Bloch, hangs in the tower room. Altar chalice and dish from 1857, made by the Horsens master Erik C. Lind. Altar candelabres from 1600s. Romanesque granite font with lions and windings in lively relief. A baptismal dish, a south German work from 1550-1600. A pulpit in high Renaissance 1614 with the coat of arms of Christopher Holgersen and wife, entrance through the triumph wall. Pews from ab. 1900. Upon the north wall of the nave hangs a small late Gothic crucifix. An iron bound money block at the door. Organ in the tower room. Bell from 1849, cast by Gamst and Lund. In the porch a large portrait gravestone for above mentioned Christopher Holgersen (+ latest 1622) and wife; inscription almost worn out. Outside the church lie a large worn out portrait stone from the 1700s and a gravestone for Johan Frederik Cramer, earlier citizen and merchant in Horsens (+ 1831). In the north corner of the church yard a "grave tree" in granite from the 1700s with a male figure in high relief, and at the burial chapel upon the church yard lies a large monolith lintel from a Romanesque window. 

At Bredstenbro was about 20 m southwest of the country road and 50 m from Gudenå river a chapel, consegrated to Vor Frue, it was registered at Åkær slot in 1591 in a charter from 1426 as called Brøstrum bro capell and it was said to be founded by bishop Bo (+ 1423) and renovated by bishop Ulrik (+ 1449).
The chapel was considered in 1456 in Niels Gyldenstierne's will. In 1461 a priest of Brystingbro is mentioned, and in ab. 1500 a site south of Vor Frue kapel's farm at B. Close west for the chapel was a sacred spring with outlet in Gudenå river. After the chapel site, the socalled "old church yard" for a long time had been used as a quarry and for using gravel, where a big number of skeletons appeared, the National Museum did in 1917 make a small excavation, in which were found the last small rests of the foundation of a monk brick building and some graves.   The chapel site is now completely destroyed.

Nim is in Valdemars Jordebog mentioned as krongods (belonging to the Crown); marsk Stig Andersen (Hvide) had N. as a vasalry from Erik Klipping.

In the parish were the villages Stakkelstoft (1683 Stackels Toft) with 1 farm and 7 houses, and Morup (1582 Marupmark, 1664 Morupmarch) at Brestenbro ab. two km north of Moruplund, which has got its name from the village.

Listed prehistorics: 13 hills of, which Bavnehøj east of Nim and a hill southwest of the village are very large, and 4 røser (stonegraves) in the forest north of Nim.
Demolished or destroyed: 80 hills, most of these were in the eastern part of the parish, where they in a couple of places formed distinct high rows, one along the Horsens-Silkeborg country road to Nim village and another to the south, to Sletkær. 

From Nim origins a late Bronze Age sacrifice find with hængekar (a belt jewelry), bracelets etc. etc. North of Nim was examined an urn burial site from Celtic Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Nim (1231 Nym); Brestenbro (1426 Brøstenbroe, 1456 Brøstænbro); Bolund (1408 Bordelund).

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.  

photo 2003: grethe bachmann
 

Mesing church, Mesing kirke, Hjelmslev herred, Skanderborg amt.

The small church in Mesing has a Romanesque choir and nave and a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch to the south. The choir and nave are built in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth. From original details are traceable in the wallwork the straight-edged north door of the nave, a window in the middle of each of the longwalls of the nave and the east and north window of the choir, all bricked. At the foot of the tower lie three monolith lintels from Romanesque windows. The southdoor is outside, but the Romanesque tympanum is preserved with lion figures around a tree.  In the late Middle Ages was built a cross vault with halfstone-ribs, one bay in the choir, two in the nave. At the same time the choir arch was changed into a pointed arch. The church has neo Romanesque windows. The narrow tower is open to the west in a high round arched arcade ("stilt"). It is built in monk bricks with a spread use of boulder, and it has stair gables to north and south above the point arched peepholes. The large porch in granite ashlars, boulder and monk bricks has a flat curved door in a point arched mirror, above the door is inserted a sundial with Fr. V.'s monogram and the year 1756.

Canopy-altarpiece in Renaissance from ab. 1600, in the big field a newer crucifixion-picture upon canvas, upon the top-field allegoric pictures from ab. 1800. Altar chalice from 1684, by Bartholomæus Stur in Århus, acc. to inscription given by Ober Förster Petter Zeibiegh and wife Margaretha von Gabbels, whose coat of arms and initials are on the cup. Two pair of candelabres from respectively 1600 and 1952. A small Romanesque granite font with lion reliefs. Baptismal dishes: 1) ab. 1550, south German, 2) 1688, in pewter, with initials SKE and AIDN. Pulpit 1613 with carvings in stiff high Renaissanc and the name Rasmus Jensen. Pews from ab. 1900. Organ in a gallery in the west end of the nave. Bell 1928 (de Smithske jernstøberier), recast from en older bell by Jens Asmus Smit 1591, which inscription is repeated on the new bell.

The monks at Kalvø (later at Øm kloster) gave ab. 1168 10 mark silver land in Mesing to Niels Nødd and Glip of Åbo.

In Mesing is a small hjemstavnsmuseum (local museum), mainly with old utensils from the district. It was established in 1936 in the old rytterskole(military), a halftimbered building which this year was moved upon rolls to its present place and given to shoemaker Ansgar Andersen Horn whose collection got its location here. 

In the parish was a village Ravndal (1287 Rauffndall). There were in the 1500s feuds between Ringkloster and the Mesing-farmers about the right of the land of the disappeared village. The mill dam of Ravndal is still traceable at Møllebækken 2 km south of Mesing.

Listed prehistorics: in Illerup ådal is a 35 m long dolmen with a chamber without cover stone. 10 hills in Sønderskov, one rather large.
Demolished: one hill.  

Names in the Middle Ages: Mesing (1477 Mesingh).

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.

photo 2009: grethe bachmann

           

Lundum church, Lundum kirke, Voer herred, Skanderborg amt.

                                                                              












The highplaced church in Lundum has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west and a porch from the 1700s to the south. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars and several travertines upon a bevel plinth. The rectangular south door is in use, while the bricked north door is vaguely traceable. From original windows - all bricked - is one traceable at the choir and two at the north side of the nave. The choir got inside in late Gothic period a cross vault, while the nave has a curved wooden ceiling from the 1800s. The late Gothic west tower is built in monk bricks and re-used ashlars. Its bottom room, which has an octagonal vault, opens to the nave in a broad pointed arch. The east-west gable has to the east a rich glare-decoration of twin-round arched high glares with a small double round arch glare in the top above savskifter (stone placed diagonally)   The west gable is probably from the 1700s. In a rebuild of the inside the triumph wall got neo-Gothic shapes.




















Altarpiece in Renaissance from the beginning of the 1600s, now cleansed and with a carved (scratched) biblical picture upon wood. Candelabres in Renaissance, ab. 1500-1600s. Romanesque granite font with a smooth profiled basin upon new base. A small crucifix from 1600s. Pulpit in high Renaissance, ab. 1600, with Tuscany corner pillars. A bell without inscription, no date.

A royal vildtbanesten (used as a border stone for the king's hunting ground) with monogram of Chr. VI and the year 1743 stands at Dagmarsgård.

Listed prehistorics: upon  Julianelyst mark (field) is a pretty, square dolmen chamber Gammelmand with a large cover stone; in Julianelyst skov a smaller hill.
Demolished or destroyed: 5 hills. 

At Lundumskov and Ødekirke Huse were found claypot burials from early Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Lundum (1390 Lundum); Lundumskov (1349 Lundomskouff); Lundum Møllegård (1578 Lundum Mølle): 

Sources: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.

photo 2003/2011: grethe bachmann

Linå church, Linå kirke, Gjern herred, Skanderborg amt.

(Photo of the Linå church itself later)

The large church in Linå has an apse, a choir and a nave from the Romanesque period, a western extension from after the reformation with a later added tower and a chapel to the north from 1689. A disappeared porch is mentioned in 1616 and 1664. The original sections are built in granite ashlars and a little hardpan upon a bevel plinth, the apse is decorated with a cornice. Upon the loft stands the east gable of the choir,  built in wellcarved granite ashlars and the western gable in field stones and raw boulder. From the original windows only the east window of the apse is seen as a glare; a piece of a monolith lintel is inserted in the north wall of the nave. Two rich six-pillars portals with relief-decorated tympana are kept. The south portal on the west side of the tower - through which the entrance is to the church - is decorated with a tympanum with Christ. The north portal, which tympanum has a intertwined cross - gives access to the church from the nave to the north chapel.  A third tympanum - with an unfinished or clumsy image of Christ - is now placed inside above the north door, this origins from the broken down Bjarup church together with another tympanum with the crucified Christ, which is inserted in the churchyard wall. The western extension is built in small ashlars, which probably also origins from Bjarup church. The extension might be dated to ab. 1590, when the building was dilapidated, but it was rebuilt, partly by assistance from the king, in stones and limestone from Silkeborg slot (castle). The burial chapel in granite ashlars and with a curved lead roof was built in 1689 according to a sandstone tablet with the coat of arms of Daniel Fischer and Else Linde. The same date, coat of arms and initials are seen upon the finely carved door wing of the chapel to the nave and upon a painted wooden plate, placed above the entrance at the same spot. The tower was mentioned as dilapidated in 1679 and it was probably broken down soon after. In its present look it was probably rebuilt in ab. 1800 in red monk bricks , at the bottom with ashlars from the west gable of the nave. An earlier access was via a flatcurved door to the south. The stairway to the upper storey of the tower is via a stair in the wall. The inside of the church has a flat ceiling the apse a newer half cupola vault. 

A medieval bricked communion table with a niche. The altarpiece in Renaissance with a painted date 1616 and relief-carved coat of arms of the vasal Christen Holck and wives, Karen Krafse and Marie Below. In the large field was at a restoration brought to light the original inscription, which had been covered by a  crucifixion-painting, (now kept at the loft) upon wood with inscription and year 1693, above which was a painting upon canvas, painted by A. Lyders, Århus 1863, now hangs upon the wall of the nave. A slender (colours cleansed off) figure of John the Baptist from a Catholic altarpiece (ab. 1500) stands at the north wall of the nave. Altar chalice given by colonel Adam Erenreich von Preen. Brass-candelabres, probably copies in Gothic style. A Romanesque granite font with lion figures and male head. A newer brass baptismal dish. Pewter baptismal dish and øreskål (ear bowl), according to engraved initials, coat of arms and date given in 1694 by colonel Adam Erenreich von Preen and wife Anna Sophie von Lesbrant, made by the Århus- kandestøber (pewterer)  Hans Nielsen Godtlænder, these things are now in Den gamle By, Århus. A baptismal jug in pewter from the late 1800s. An octagonal pyramidal font-lid in wood is kept at the loft of the choir. A simple pulpit and sounding board from ab. 1630 with the coat of arms of Christen Holck and his second wife Marie Below. Entrance and decoration from 1936. Newer pews, a Baroque priest stool in the northwest corner of the choir. A memorial for the killed soldiers in the war 1848-50.  Church ship, bought in Hamburg, 1939. Bell from 1908, from the Smithske støberier, with inscription from the recast bell from 1738 by H. Tessien.

In the north chapel burials for the members of the family Fischer. An epitaph for von Preen and three wives has disappeared.  A Romanesque gravestone with a portrait-relief of a man and with inscription: Asserus, was in 1862 moved from Linå Kro's (the Inn) stairs to the south wall of the tower. Some gravestones with  portrait-reliefs for a parish priest  (Rasmus Nielsøn)  and wife. A memorial for a dean (Bagger) and wife etc.


On top a hillside a little northeast of Mollerup was the disappeared Bjarup kirke, which small congregation still in 1524 paid landehjælp (taxes) and which in 1528-29 was one of the churches, which had to deliver a church bell to king Frederik I for recast. The site of the church, covered with low earth-rises, is still visible. The building consisted of apse, choir and nave in granite ashlars. It was 25 m long, the nave 14 m broad. At the west-end is seen a low circular rise, probably the trace from a tower. The church was probably broken down in the 1500s, but still in 1808 the priest-report mentions that the churchyard-dike was visible, and the walls of the church were preserved in a height of  50-75 cm above ground; there were no graves to see, but round heather knolls, where the graves were; likewise was found a stone with two carved feet, probably from a picture ashlar. The parish once belonged under Linå pastorat, it consisted of the villages Bjarup, Volstrup (now in Dallerup parish) and Bottrup (which has disappeared). Upon the site Thor Lange, whose uncle owned Kalbygård in Låsby parish, has raised an iron cross in 1915.

Dynæs was by Valdemar Atterdag conveyed in 1360 to hr. Palne Jonsen (Munk), whose son-in-law hr. Ove Hase in 1401 pawned D. and Laven to hr. Elev Elevsen (Bild). The pawn came with his daughter to hr. Laurids Hvas, married second time to Thore Eriksdatter (Mus), who as a widow married Ove Ovesen (Mur-Kaas). Ove Hase's son Palne Hase tried in 1423 in vain to release the estate, whereafter his sister Inge Ovesdatter, m. to Mads Fredbjørnsen, gave bishop Ulrik in Århus authority to release it. Ove Ovesen had to give D.to him in 1435, and in 1444 the bishop had the ownership-rights transferred from Mads Fredbjørnsen. The castle belonged to the Århus bishops until the reformation, when the Crown took over.


The large Dynæs Voldsted (castle bank) has a picturesque situation upon an isthmus, which from higher land (Dynæs Fang) to the north protrudes out into Julsø (lake), and which connection to land originally was a narrower strip of land, where the road still runs. The square castle bank (60 x 68 m) stands with steep banks and is unusually high, 10 meter above surrounding terrain and 12 meter above the lake; the bank has at the foot been surrounded by moats, which still are seen as cuts in north, west and south. To the east was possibly a moat with an outer dam. Outside the southern moat on the cultivated tip of the isthmus is seen a rise in the terrain, probably a rest of the natural bank, from which the castle bank seemingly was cut. Upon the top has been done various small excavations, and there were finds of monk bricks and granite boulders, but a real archaeological examination of the castle has never been done. North of the northern moat is some kind of front work, which again to the north was protected by a moat. This part of the plan is now very levelled.

Upon Gammelkol a little northwest of Dynæs lies a  bank, which might be interpreted as a medieval castle bank. It consists of an almost rectangular site (ab. 15x 80 m), surrounded by a dry moat with a bank outside. In the northern end of the site lies an earth hill with a flat circular topsurface with traces of wallwork with mortar.

The family Fischer from Silkeborg owned in the 1600s large parts of the parish, several resided at Lavengård, and Mathias Fischer, major Andreas Bornich and his wife Anne Margrethe Felthaus died at the farm (1704, 1717 and 1724). -   Owner in 1872 J.C. Boeck.

Oluf Eskildsen pawned in 1334 his estate in Bjarup to herr Lyder Limbæk. 

In the parish are known three sacred springs: Tyrens hul at the meadow near Mollerup village; Helligkilden north of Skellerup village; Bjars kilde at the northeast corner of Bjarup churchyard dike.

A legend says that at Kalbygård (Låsby parish) lived three sisters, Lin, Bjar and Dal, who built churches in Linå, Bjarup and Dallerup. When they sailed across Bjarup sø after a church visit, Bjar lost her gold ring in the lake, and she cried a curse, and the lake flooded over its banks, and the fish were on the dry, but inside the first fish,which was opened at Kalbygård, was the ring. Dal's grave is still seen east of Dallerup kirke, if you touch it, there will be cattle disease.

The poet Johan Skjoldborg lived in a house at Dynæs from 1907-14, and he arranged in the years 1910-14 several large folk-meetings at Dynæs. A memorial was raised in 1926 upon Dynæs for Skjoldborg and the meetings.

In Laven is raised a bust in 1950 of the poet Nis Petersen who lived in Laven from 1938 until his death in 1943.

In the parish were at least three villages which have disappeared: Assendrup (1460 Aszenddrop lyche), Torup (1231 Thoretorp) at Skellerup and Remstrup (1261 Rembestrop). At Kærsmølle was the farm Kærsmark (1427 Kyærsmark) , in Linå the house Bøgested (1634 Bøgested.) .

Listed prehistorics: 38 hills, of which several are rather large: Ørnekol north of Mollerup, one hill just north of Laven, one in Linå Vesterskov, one, which belongs to a group of 14 hills in Hesselskov; one, very pretty kept just east of Linå kirke, 2 south of and one north of Skellerup Nygårde and one close to Resenbro. Besides have been found a stone with 55 hollows in the forest at Kærsmølle.
Demolished or destroyed: 100 hills, which mainly were in the eastern part of the parish, where at Hårup, Skellerup and Mollerup Station were some close groups.

In a work in a pit bog in Skellerup were in 1843 found 15 German speciedalere, the latest from Mansfeld 1648.

Names from the Middle Ages: Linå (1376 Lønng sogenn, 1401 Lennow, 1573 Lenno); Mollerup (1423 Maalerup, 1482 Moldrvp); Laven (1401 Laffuend, 1577 Laven); Hårup (1334 Hatterup, 1376 Hatrop, 1577 Horup);  Skellerup (1424 Skældorp); Bjarup (1350 Byrkæthorp, 1586 Bierup); Halved (1433 Halduid); Dynæs (1360 Dyrnes) Kærsmølle (1610 Kiersmølle).


Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt. 1964.

photo Linå kirke 2007: grethe bachmann

Linnerup church/Linnerup kirke, Vrads herred, Skanderborg amt.

The church in Linnerup is according to the inscription upon the church bell consecrated to Sct. Peter. It has a nave and choir and a tower to the west. The original Romanesque granite ashlar building upon a bevel plinth is changed much in recent times. Only the choir has been preserved, its outer walls were in 1880 walled with small bricks.  A Romanesque window is still seen as a niche in the eastern wall. An inserted cast iron tablet in the gable from 1866 refers to that the dilapidated nave in 1866 was broken down and rebuilt in the old materials and was extended to the west. The tower was built at the same time, in granite ashlars and red bricks. It has a low, square spire and entrance to the tower room in the west side. The tower room functions as a vestibule.  In the choir is built a late Gothic cross vault, the nave has a boarded tagstol (roof stool) (changed in 1893).The choir arch has been rebuilt. The church is whitewashed and roofed with tiles. A main restoration was done in 1960-61.

The choir vault has late Gothic frescoes (a naive image of wheel of fortune). The triumph wall is in 1924 decorated with a frescoe by J.Th.Skovgaard. Communion table panel in Renaissance from ab. 1610. The altarpiece is a painting from 1893 (copy after C. Bloch). Romanesque granite font with a rough rope winding along the edge. A pulpit in Renaissance style ab. 1600 with a new partiel decoration. Newer church benches. Upon the western wall a *klingpung in copper and a late Gothic Maria figure from a crucifix group. The bell with inscription in Danish and Latin is cast "anno MCDXC decimo" by Peter Hansen in Flensborg.
 
* purse on a long stick and a little bell, used for collecting money in church.

gravehill outside Linnerup (winter)

Lønsgård was in 1485 2 farms,which Iver Eriksen (Fasti) got according to law. His sister's daughter Magdalene Spend was m. to Mogens Kaas (Sparre-K.) of Ørndrup, who in 1549 seemingly owned L.,  to which his daughter Helvig Kaas (+ unmarried ab. 1633) wrote herself in 1593-1625. In 1633 it was owned by her brother's son Otte Kaas of Nandrup, but in 1634 by his brother Claus Kaas of Sø, who in 1636 exchanged L. to Jytte Brok of Gl. Estrup (+ 1640).  It belonged hereafter to her son Christen Jørgensen Skeel and was in 1662 "en liden herregård" ( a small manor);  in 1671 he conveyed it with 1 farm to Anne Cathrine Normann, widow after Johan v Vittinghof. She sold it in 1679 to Joachim Fr.Pentz of Åstrup, but after his death in 1682 she conveyed it in 1683 with estate to his daughters Ingeborg Christine, Eva Margarethe and Frederikke Amalie Pentz. In 1687 the farm belonged to the Crown, who in 1688 laid it out as ryttergods(military) and in 1690 gave lieutenant Peter Hirschhouver a life's letter on it; in 1754 it was a farm under Hammergård, later under Hvolgård.

Listed prehistorics:  Firhøjene at Hjortsvang: 3 grown-together hills; a fourth is demolished.
Demolished or destroyed: 20 hills.

In one of the Tvillinghøjene  (twin hills) were found urns and 3-4 gold rings. At Hjortsvang were found a burial site from early Roman period and a grave from late Roman period with a bronze casserole, glass, amber pearls etc.

Names from the Middle Ages:
Linnerup (1489 Lundrop, 1490 Lyndrop); Hjortsvang (1485 Hiorttzwong, 1499 Hiortzwangh); Lønsgård (1474 Lousgaard, 1485 Løns gaarde.)

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964. 

photo 2002: grethe bachmann   

Klovborg church/Klovborg kirke, Vrads herred, Skanderborg amt.

The church in Klovborg has an undivided longhouse with apse to the east, tower to the west and porch to the south. The western part of the longhouse is the nave from a Romanesque church, built in granite ashlars upon a plinth with a bevel edge. A window to the south and two to the north are bricked. The south door is outside, the north door is bricked and partly destroyed by a newer window.  The western tower was added in the late Middle Ages, it is built in granite ashlars and monk bricks, its vaulted bottom room is connected in a large round arch to the nave, in which are built three bays octagonal rib vaults. In a later rebuild the tower was made lower. In 1591 rigsråd Erik Hardenberg (+ 1604) let the Romanesque choir break down, after which the nave  - where were used old ashlars - was extended towards east, where it was finished in a half round apse in monk bricks. Inserted in the apse wall is a table with Erik Hardenberg's and fru Anne Rønnow's coat of arms in relief. The apse inside has a half cupola vault (half dome), while the eastern extension later has got a plastered barrel vault in planks. From a later period is the porch, built in small bricks and with a plastered wooden barrel vault.The church is partly white-washed (tower, apse and porch) and the roofs are tiled (apse has a leaden roof).   

A new oak communion table (1952) with carved and gilt biblical motifs, made by the sculptor Aksel Theilmann. A three-part altarpiece with biblical paintings by Eileen Hoffman-Bang 1945. The chalice is given in 1706 by Thyge Jespersen and Anne Mikkelsdatter. Altar candelabres from 1936, a pair of candlesticks from 1574 with the initials and coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow were retained at Mattrup (manor) for a long time. A Romanesque granite font with a rope winding under the edge. A baptismal dish in Nürnberg-type (ab. 1550-1600). A brickwork-pulpit, probably from the rebuild of the church in 1591. The pulpit is carried by a bricked pillar and a limestone-plate; it once had frescoe-painted decorations from the Baroque-period, but it was in 1961 decorated with new frescoe-paintings by Ingolf Røjbæk. The gables of the pews are from 1591, the upper pews have the coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow. To the west is a organ gallery. A bell from 1591 with the coat of arms of Erik Hardenberg and Anne Rønnow. 

At the northern wall of the choir is a large epitaph in limestone with portrait figures (5 adults and 4 children) for rigshofmester Ejler Hardenberg (+ 1565), his sons Stygge, Korfits and Erik (with Erik's wife Anne Rønnow and three daughters Karine, Rigborg and Berete) and daughter Kirstine. At the southern wall an epitaph in various marble-colours made by Johs. Wiedewelt for justitsråd Emanuel Thygesen of Mattrup (+ 1764) and with a portrait bust. Under the choir a bricked burial vault with 37 coffins with the families Hardenberg and Thygesen (Thygeson).

Mattrup å river

Tranholm with more than 30 farms was sold to queen Margrethe I in ab. 1406 by rigsråd Johan Skarpenberg. The castle was broken down, and from the estate was established T. vasalry, which Svend Torbernsen (Udsen) in 1467 had from the Crown as a pawn. The pawn was released in 1490 by Erik Stygge (Rosenkrantz), who owned it until his death in 1535, whereafter it went to hr. Ejler Hardenberg (+ 1565) and his son Erik Hardenberg, who in 1573 by exchange with the Crown became the owner of T., which after this followed Mattrup, and from 1670 Væbnersholm (Våbensholm), and in 1688 came to the Crown. The Crown conveyed T. in 1695 to Tyge Jespersen of Mattrup, again in 1721 to Christian Fischer of Allinggård, later of Mattrup.

Peder Mikkelsen sold Flåris to Mikkel Nielsen (Tornekrans);  who in 1455 conveyed it to Christian Jensen. He could in 1462 buy a brotherpart in F. from Terkel Jensen. In 1504 Niels Christensen conveyed a brotherpart to Peder Jensen. In 1560 the Crown exchanged F. to Ejler Hardenberg, and the farm shared fate with above mentioned Tranholm. In 1836 F. was transferred to private ownership.

At Nørskovgård lived Anne Cathrine Ahlefeldt (widow after Corfitz Ulfeld of Mattrup) and her daughters in extreme poverty; Margrethe Ulfeld died in 1713, Anna Margrethe Ulfeld in 1734. At Sønderskovgård lived in 1737 Cecilie Elisabeth Scharffenberg, widow after an oberstløjtnant Zeuerkelles.

Stigsholm lake with islet

Tranholm was placed upon a bank, earlier surrounded by water-filled moats, at Mattrup å. (river) Monk bricks have been found at the bank. Until 1906 was here a farm Tranholmgård, which foundations are still visible.
Upon the small flat islet in Stigsholm sø (lake) was according to legend a castle. There are no immediate . traces.

Skade is mentioned already in 1497 as a vicarage. Skade kirke is probably the same as Klovborg kirke, it is mentioned in 1492.  

In the parish was the farm Ælsgård (1504 Ælsgardh).

Listed prehistorics: 13 hills, one: Storhøj, is in a group of 3 at Rishedegård, it is rather large. In Tranholm plantation lies a group of 4 hills.
Demolished or destroyed:  74 hills.

In Bavnehøj were found two gilt bronze pieces from late Iron Age.

Settlements from Gudenåkulturen are known from Stigsholm and Halle søer (lakes). In Vejle mose (moor) were found a couple of bronze necklaces from late Bronze Age, a couple alike, but thinner, were found at Dalsgård, at Skade were found some early Roman period claypot burials and at Velgårde a burial site from early and late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s: 
Klovborg (1. half of 1400s Kloburgh, 1453 Klabwrgh); Gribstrup (1. half of 1400s Grybstorp, 1455 Gripstropp);  Skade (1. half of 1400s Skadet); Nørskov (1576 Nørskof); Flåris (1455 Floriis); Dalsgårde (1688 Dalsgaard); Tranholm (1. half of 1400s Traneholm gardh, 1455 Tranholm); Velgårde (1573 Velgaard); Tirsvad (1. half of 1400s Tiiswath); Malund (1455 Madelund, 1458 Lille Matheklund, Store Madelund).

Source: Trap Danmark, Skanderborg amt, 1964.   


photo 2002: grethe bachmann