Balling church/ Balling kirke, Rødding herred, Viborg amt.

Balling church, ab. 10 km northwest of Skive.

Balling parish, Rødding herred, Viborg amt.



Balling church has a Romanesque choir and nave, a late Gothic bottom section of a tower to the west and two additions to the south from the middle of the 1500s. A porch and a chapel, which flank walls meet respectively the south walls of the nave and the choir. Above the western section was in 1945 built the upper section of a tower. The Romanesque building, choir and nave, were built in granite ashlars, the choir upon an Attic and the nave upon a bevelled plinth. From the original doors is the south door in use, round arched with a sunken tympanum-field, while the north door is only traced vaguely outside. In the nave are two bricked-up round arched windows, one to the south and one to the north, the last mentioned with kilestik (wedge sockets ) carved in the lintel. Inside the church the choir arch is white washed and the choir and nave have newer beamed ceilings. In the late Gothic period was added a tower to the west in ashlars and raw boulder which upper section was removed in the 1700s. Its bottom room has a pointed arch towards the nave. In the middle of the 1500s a southern chapel was built in granite ashlars with a smooth roof gable. The chapel functioned for a time as burial chapel. Its inside opens towards the church in a round arch, which cuts through the choir arch. The chapel has an octagonal cross vault. The porch is from the same time with a flat curved door and small windows to the east and west. Its roof gable was later replaced by a hip roof. The present large flat curved windows of the nave are probably from the 1800s. In 1945 a new tower was built upon the old tower section in small bricks with gables north-south.

A new communion table in yellow bricks. In its backside is inserted an ashlars with a helgengrav ( a reliquary). The front of the table is in Renaissance from ab. 1580 with Evangelist paintings from the 1700s. The altarpiece is a joinery in High Renaisaance ab. 1600 with original paintings. A newer altar painting hangs in the church ( 1962). From a late Gothic altarpiece from ab. 1510-20 has been kept a figure of Sct Peder. Balustershaped brass candelabres from ab. 1700. Behind the altar stands the torso of a choir arch crucifix ab. 1450-75. A Romanesque granite font in three stones, a smooth basin with round sticks, a pillow shaped upper section and a large circular profiled foot. A South German dish. The pulpit is a joinery from the late 1800s. Bell 1840- 42 P.P. Meilstrup.

Næsbækgård was in 1393 by Herman Iversen Pennow deeded to Gunde Nielsen. In 1407 Jens (or Niels) Bratze (Saltensee of Linde) pawned N. to Per Hase, who in 1423 sold N. with mill to the bishop in Viborg, who however in 1455 bought Næsbæk mølle (mill) with a desolate mill place from Bolde Olufsdatter. Still in 1570 and 1570 Næsnæk mølle was under the earlier bishop's manor Spøttrup
 
Ove Tygesen of Balling is mentioned in 1425.

Southwest of Sønder Balling was a settlement Robelstrup (ab. 1525 Robelstrvp), which disappeared in the beginning of the 1600s. In the parish were the farms Høstgård (ab. 1525 Hostgardt), Keldtoft (1610 Kielldtofft) and Vesterballegård (1664 Westerballegård) and Balling Mellemmølle (1610 Mell Balling Mølle).

 In the northwestern corner of the parish at the foot of the hills down towards Rødding river valley lies the castle bank Holmgård slot , a low square castle yard (ab.55 x 55m), stretching out in the meadow, which earlier was under water, and which by a moat is divided from the higher placed land to the east. Towards the other side the bank was surrounded by a moat, which was divided from the surrounding lake by a dam, which  is demolished. Upon the castle yard were found rests of buildings.

Listed prehistorics: one longhill and 6 hills, like Mølvadshøj in a plantation close to the parish border to the northwest.
Demolished or destroyed:  49 hills.    

Names in the Middle Ages and 1600s: Balling kirke (1425 Balling, 1487 Baling); Sønder Balling (1532 Sønder Baling); Gust (1465 Gust); Næsbæk (1393 Neesbegard, Nesbogard, 1423 Nesbeck gard); Vrå (1440 Vraa); Vesterby (1610 Westerbye); Nittrup (1440 Nittrup, 1488 Nyptrop); Bilgrav (1487 Billgraff); Damgård (1610 Dambgaardt); Hedegård (1487 Hedegard); Balling Overmølle (1541 Offuermøll); Nedermølle (1610 Neder Balling Mølle).

Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962. 

photo: borrowed from Google earth, 2013, gb.