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