Vejlby church/ Vejlby kirke (Allingåbro), Randers amt.

Vejlby church, 2009: grethe bachmann

Vejlby parish, Sønderhald herred, Randers amt.


Vejlby church at Allingåbro has in its present look a large nave with apse, a side nave with a sacristy and a porch north of the main nave and a tower at the west end of the side nave. The original section is the present side nave and sacristy, which formed nave and choir in a Romanesque church in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth. The walls were re-built in 1890-1900. The church distinguishes itself by its magnificent granite portals decorated with pictures, which were made by the Djursland master Horder. The south portal is especially magnificent (now at the west gable of the main nave) with relief carved biblical images, also with reliefs upon the lintel. The original choir arch is also kept with profiled kragsten. In the late Middle Ages the church had a cross vault in the choir and two bays star vaults in the nave, and at the same time the west tower was added with pyramid roof and a vaulted bottom room and the porch, mostly built in monk bricks. The old church has frescoes from two periods. In the choir arch late Romanesque pictures from ab. 1250, (restored in 1884), and upon the vaults late Gothic decorations (restored in 1923).  The medieval village church changed character, when it was overshadowed by the large main nave ( architect H. Paludan 1923). The south wall of the old nave was broken through, while the choir arch was bricked up, and the old choir was furnished as a sacristy and connected to a special small extension with the choir of the new nave.The church got a main entrance to the west, and the new nave was covered with four bays star vaults and was decorated with frescoes by E. Risebye.

Vejlby church, Google-map 2013

A late Baroque altarpiece from ab. 1700 with the coat of arms and initials of Chr. Friis of Hevringholm, in the middle field a crucifix; altar chalice from 1671 with the coat of arms of colonel Hans Friis and Helvig Marsvin. Large ore candelabres from b. 1600. A Romanesque granite font with foliage around the basin. A late Baroque pulpit with sounding board from almost the same time as the altarpiece. New pews 1923. At the western gallery an organ. A late medieval bell was re-cast in 1900. In the floor of the old choir lies a gravestone from ab. 1700 for Peter Skiøt and wife, while a stone for a priest's son Jens Andersen Holst (+ 1754) is placed in the old choir arch.

Julielund was until ab. 1810 called Kærgård (1500s Kiergordz eyendomm ). In 1601 it was inhabited by Jens Bang and belonged under Hevringholm. In 1660 it came to Peder Lassen and then among others to Niels Winter, Amdi Rasmussen Borup (+ 1693), his son Hans Andersen (+ 1700), Peder Nielsen Skøt, the brother Niels Jensen Skøt, and in 1734 parish priest Anders Justesen Holst. After this it was owned by his son Just  (Jens?) Holst (+ 1754), who in 1753 sold it to Jacob Adler of Østergård. It was for a period under Løvenholm. N. Juul (+ 1806) willed it in 1803 to his sister Edel Marie, m. to H.J.Benning, she got in 1809 a deed on it from Peter Severin Fønns of Løvenholm and transferred it at her death in 1814 to N. Clausen, who in 1829 sold it to P.B.Holm. In 1830 it was sold to manager J. Pind at Tjele (+ 1836) at an auction. His daughter Elisabeth Bol. Pind (+ 1848) brought it by marriage first to manager J. Jespersen (+ 1844), then in 1845 to Chr. Høilund (+ 1891) whose daughter-in-law Johanne Høilund took it over. From 1911 it belonged to the son K.P. Højlund. In 1951 J.Højlund took it over from his father.   

Allingåbro, hotel, 2003: grethe bachmann

Tøjstrup Østergård was in 1398 sold by Selgen and Mikkel Nielsen to Tord Terkelsen, whose brother-in-law, the væbner Mikkel Assersen is mentioned of T.  1462-83. He sold the farm to the elder Bjørn Andersen of Stenalt. After the younger Bjørn Andersen (+ 1604) it came by exchange to the son-in-law Jørgen Friis (of Haraldskær) of Krastrup, who sold it to Mourids Stygge of Holbækgård, whose widow Anne Lykke in 1613 sold it to Eske Brok of Estrup.

In Tøjstrup burnt in 1784 5 farms and 6 houses under Gl. Estrup.

At Udbygårde on the border between field and meadow was once a sacred spring. 

Listed prehistorics: 3 hills, close together, south of the parish.

Demolished or destroyed: 5 hills.

In Vejlby was a now disappeared rune stone.

Names from the Middle Ages: Vejlby (1424 Wedelby); Allestrup (1361 Allistorp); Tøjstrup (1398 Tystrup, 1450 Tyghestrup). 

Source: Trap Danmark, Randers amt, 1963.

photo 2009: grethe bachmnan
photo 2013: google map.