Nørup church/Nørup kirke and Engelsholm, Vejle amt

The large whitewashed and lead roofed church in Nørup is situated high upon a hillside with a beautiful view to the landscape. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with a late Gothic tower to the west, a chapel from 1621 at the north side of the choir and a porch from 1733 at the south side of the nave. It is marked both out- and inside by Gerhard de Lichtenberg's thorough rebuild in 1732-33. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a double plinth, attic profile above a bevelled edge. From original details is only a rounded arch window in the east gable of the choir. In the late Gothic period was to the west added a tower in monk bricks, which cross vaulted bottom room opens towards the nave in a pointed tower arch. The entrance to the middle storey is via a ladder to a hatch in the vault. The upper section of the tower is rebuilt with large rounded arch  glamhuller (sound holes) in 1732, when a lantern spire was placed above an onion dome. The vaulted chapel to the north is built in 1621 in granite ashlars and monk bricks at the request of fru Margrethe Lange, who let insert an octagonal cross vault in the choir. In Gerhard de Lichtenberg's big rebuild in 1732-33 the walls were enheightened and normalized in choir and nave, and the nave had two bays eight-ribbed vaults. At the same time a vaulted porch in new materials was built in front ot the south door, which was extended.

view from the church

The communion table is covered by panelwork  from ab. 1550. The altarpiece is a rich carving from 1732 in late Baroque i reliefs, influenced by Viborg cathedral's Baroque altarpiece and made by Jens Jensen. In the northeast corner of the choir is a closed chair with openwork carving. Baluster candelabres in late Renaissance ab. 1650. A low choir-counter, flanked by cerub-figures, and a small closure with a canopy -   a sounding board above the Romanesque granite font with a smooth half circular basin, partly inserted with acanthus-carvings, a pulpit with comfortably sitting figures (virtues) upon a cornice,  and a "heaven" above with a bird on its nest,  plus pews and dominating gallery - all this was made by Jens Jensen 1732-33. The pews and the galllery is painted with pietistic allegories and versified sentences. In the  west end of the nave a gallery with biblical pictures and the facade of an organ, given 1730 by grev F. Danneskiold. The present organ is from 1857. A large ship-model , a warship  1741 "Chr. VI". A klingpung (purse on a stick for collecting money) in brass from Rococo-period. At the opening to the chapel are carved wooden doors with iron grate. Bells 1) 1549 by master Henrich Tram 2) 1911 Åbyhøj.

You can see the interior in some drawings on this link:
Nørup kirke

view from the church

Memorials:
In chapel sandstone epitaph Margrethe Lange (+ 1622) and her 2. husband Knud Brahe (+ 1615) with kneeling figures. In the nave memorial tablet Christen de Linde (+ 1790), his wife Gedske de Lichtenberg (+ 1766) and their son Chr. de Linde (+ 1766). Memorial tablet for fallen soldiers from wars 1848-50 and 1864.  In the chapel a pretty black gravestone : Jens Kaas of Voergård (+ 1579) and Margrethe Lange with two figures: warrior and widow. Upon the churchyard a classisistic monument  for captain Niels v. Jermiin (+ 1807). Upon the northern section of the churchyard was according to Pontoppidan's Atlas buried a big number of Polish soldiers, who died in 1659 from contagious disease. At the gate of the churchyard to the west two pillars with sandstone lions carrying weapons. 

old stairs in the park

Engelsholm was exchanged by Chr. I in 1452 to hr. Timme Nielsen (Rosenkrantz)(+ before 1457). The son Erik Timmesen (Rosenkrantz)(lived still in 1514) extended the farm. After the death of his widow Margrethe Høg (after 1523) E. went to the daughter Bege Rosenkrantz, widow after Erik Nielsen (Lange) and her son Erik Eriksen (Lange) (+ 1572).  His son, the alchymist Erik Eriksen Lange the Young, owned E. together with his brother-in-law Knud Brahe (+ 1615), but the last mentioned became the sole owner - and since his widow Margrethe Lange died childless in 1622, the farm came to his brother's son Jørgen Brahe of Hvedholm (+ 1661), who in 1653 left the estate to his youngest son Preben Brahe (+ 1708). E. suffered much damage during the Swedish wars (svenskekrigene). Among the heirs the son captain Henrik Brahe (+ 1725) became the sole owner in 1709; his widow Henrikke Sophie Bille (+ 1731), deeded it to Gerhard de Lichtenberg, who did much for the estate and among other things established tileworks and a papermill. He deeded in 1754 E., Haraldskær and Kjeldkær plus taxes, churches and peasant farms, to his son-in-law Christen Linde of Ulsund (+ 1790), who in 1767 deeded the same farms to his brother-in- law, justitsråd Hans Henrik de Lichtenberg of Bidstrup. He sold in 1770 E. to kammerråd Nicolaj Duus, later of Hals Ladegård, who in 1774 deeded E. to generalkrigskommissær Marcus v. Hielmcrone (+ 1793), earlier of Herningholm. E was in an forced auction in 1780 bought by kammerherre Christian Frederik Tønne v. Lüttichau of Åkær, who in 1784 sold E. to kammerherre Niels Krabbe Juel of Billeshave. He deeded in 1786 E. to justitsråd H.H. Tønder (+ 1808), who in 1795 deeded it to captain Niels Jermiin of Lønborggård, who in 1796 had royal allowance to sell the estate without losing "the freedom of a main farm" (hovedgårdsfriheden) and allowance to do some outparcelling.
Later owners:  G. Krøyer,  Carl Adolph Rothe Bech, J.C. B Breum, Niels A. Høgdall, Jydsk Landhypothekforening (outparcelling). Main building sold to N Andersen and E.A. Thiel, Odense. After several owners in 1939 sold to: Sune Andersen and Frede Bording, who established højskole (high school). In 1952 selvejende institution (independent) Engelsholm Folkehøjskole ( folk high school).    

Engelsholm is to day high school of art and music.


Abildgårdsholt ( then in Bredsten parish);  was by the king deeded in 1549 to Erik Lange of Engelsholm, in 1638 Abildgård was a big farm under Engelsholm. It is probably the same farm, which later was called Engelsholm Ladegård. The building plus a dairy was probably built by grev F. Danneskiold-Samsøe, in  1797 it was sold out from Engelsholm and came to B.H.C.Riisbrich (+ 1814), whose son D.P. Riisbrich (+ 1831) inherited it. His widow Margrethe Sophie Mussman (+ 1864) and son B.C.Riisbrich (+ unmarried 1874) owned it after this, and the last mentioned's brother købmand J.C. Riisbrich (+ 1889) sold it in 1880 to Hans Aagesen Knudsen of Trøjborg. His son Andreas Birger Knudsen sold it in 1918 in the name Abildgård to A. Boye (+ 1924), whose son C.J. Boye took it over and in 1962 transferred it to his son Aage Boye.

Lihme was before 1306 sold to Ring kloster.

Ebbe Lille deeded in 1338 his mother-in-law Ose Thomasdatter's inherited estate in Søgård etc. to her brother Troels Thomsen. The small town S. was abolished by grev Fr. Danneskiold- Samsøe ab. 1730 and the land came under Engelsholm Ladegård.

Upon a natural, now forested bank, 800 meter east of Abildgård in Engelsholm Sønderskov, lies the castle bank Trældborg or Troldborg Ring which is a plane castle yard, about 1700 m2, surrounded by a circular bank, which is highest to the northwest, while it to the southeast only raises a little above the niveau of the castle yard.Outside the bank is to the west and north a flat moat, which has a depth of ab. 50 cm and a broadth of ab. 2,50 m. There are no findings from the castle bank, it is characterized as a typical prehistoric bygdeborg (a castle and refuge).  

West of Ravning bro were in 1953-56 found heavy oak poles from a bridge.
See special post on my blog Thyra: Ravning bridge


Listed prehistorics: 54 hills and 2 long hills, of which one southeast of Mørup is 43 m long. Several hills are large, two hills south of and 4 south-southwest of  Mørup, two west of Nørup, the very large Kæltringhøj in Gødding skov, one in a forest north of Gødding Mølle, Bredhøj north of Sødover, Sneglehøj southeast of Engelsholm and a hill by Lihme. A large section of the hills lie in a belt along Hærvejen (the army road, the oxen road), which went north-south through the parish.
Demolished or destroyed: a long dolmen at Lihmskov and 43 hills. At Mørup was a large, flat hill with a stone fence. Here was a stone with a wheel cross. An urn-burial-site from Celtic Iron Age is known from Mørup and a settlement from early Iron Age from Ny Nørup.


Names from the Middle Ages and 1600s:
Nørup (ab. 1330 Nythorp); Mørup (1453 Mørderopp, 1524 Mørdrop); L. Lihme (1338 Lymæthorp); St. Lihme (1306 Lym, 1458 Lyme); Lihmskov (ab. 1450 Limeskov); Sødover (1452 Sødouerth, 1483 Sødowerde); Førstballe (1585 Forstbølle, 1610 Førstballj); Gammelby (1638 Gammellbye); Trollerup (1476 Troldorp); Tørrild (1578 Thørild); Småkær (1338 Smakyermark);  Søgårde (1338 Syøgaarth); Engelsholm (1452 Engylstholm, 1462 Enghelholm); Abildgård (1591 Abeldgaard); Gødding Mølle (1476 Gødingh mølle); Sillehus (1664 Sillegaard, 1688 Sielle huus); Gøddinggård (1476 Gødingh gordh).

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964   


photo 2012/2007: grethe bachmann