Torslev church/ Torslev kirke, Øster Han herred, Hjørring amt.

Torslev church, ab. 20 km west of Aalborg, Google earth.

The large Torslev church has a choir and nave from the Romanesque period,  a late Gothic western extension, and tower and two modern additions: porch and burial chapel, to the north. The choir and nave are in granite ashlars above a profiled double plinth. A priest's door upon the north side of the choir was re-opened in 1895; the round arched north door is also kept, while the south door is bricked-up. A tympanum with biblical symbols and a frame stone with a pillar, which ends in a male head, is now at the National Museum. In the nave are two Romanesque windows in use, a south window is bricked-up, and several Romanesque window lintels are inserted in  random places in the walls. ( also in the west wall of the tower. ) The round choir arch has a profiled plinth and kragbånd.

Torslev church, wikipedia

The late medieval building section rests upon a richly profiled granite plinth, which like a cubic pillar base might origin from a Romanesque ashlar tower with a front hall. This tower was broken down in the late Middle Ages, the nave was extended to the west and the present tower was built in re-used ashlars and large yellow monk bricks. At the north side of the tower is a contemporary stairhouse. The upper section of the tower was re-walled in 1841, and the height was minimized with ab. 2 m, the original peepholes are now seen as glares in the roof gables. A point arched opening connects the nave and the tower.  The tower room  has like the western extension an original octagonal vault, and similar vaults are built in choir and nave. The porch (from ab. 1870) and the similar but younger burial chapel and a connected room are in small red bricks. The brickwork of the tower walls is white washed , the other walls are blank. The roofworks are with slate. The floor in the choir is black-yellow tiles, the floor in the nave is yellow bricks and planks.

Interior: 

Torslev church, wikipedia.

The altarpiece was set up in 1634 by Karen Galde of Kokkedal, whose paternal and maternal coat of arms are at the postament, in the altarpiece are used figures from a late Gothic triptychon  from the beginning of the 1500s. The altar chalice was given in 1682 by Gude Parsberg and Karen Krag, and improved in 1728 by Diderik Braës of Kokkedal. The oblate box was given in 1701  fru Ingeborg Cathrine Lugge of Kokkedal; the wine jar by Didr. Braës and fru Ingeborg Seefeld in 1693. Wrought iron altar railings from ab. 1700. A Romanesque granite font. The pulpit is a carved work from the same time as the altarpiece and is like this equipped with figures (apostles) from the Gothic altarpiece.  The pulpit and the altarpiece were restored in 1935 in connection with a repair of the interior. Upon four pew-gables are the paternal and maternal coat of arms of Børge Rosenkrantz and Karen Galde. New chandeliers. An organ in the tower room. Bells: 1) late medieval with minuskel-inscription ; 2)  a new, cast by L.Andersen, Århus. A bell given by Frands Banner in 1570 was in a cracked condition delivered to the National Museum.

Memorials: 
Fru Ingeborg Seefeld let in 1698 the tower room separate from the nave with a wrought iron door and furnish into a family burial; her own sandstone epitaph is set up upon the wall and a marble epitaph for Anders Kierulf of Sødal upon the north wall. Upon the north wall of the nave are two oval limestone tablets, one for the Dean Anders Olsen, (+ 1685), set up 1697 by Dean Jørgen Hansen, another for Maren Nielsdatter (+ 1694), and her two husbands, Rasmus Ottesøn (+ 1646) and Pors Lavissøn (+ 1705). A Romanesque gravestone with the name Thormod and an image of the life-tree is inserted high in the south wall of the nave.  Two large gravestones, upright in the choir ( portrait stones) for Erik Banner of Kokkedal (+ 1483) and his son, rigsmarsk Erik Banner (+ 1554) with his two wives, Mette Rosenkrantz (+ 1533) and Margrethe Gyldenstierne (+ 1554). Upon the church yard several old gravestones along the northern dike.

Kokkedal, wikipedia.

Kokkedal is mentioned the first time in 1407 and was owned by væbner Anders Albretsen (Stenbrikke), probably his father Albret Andersen (Stenbrikke)(+ earliest 1386) and even his paternal grandfather Anders Aagesen (Stenbrikke) owned it too, but there is no proof of this. Anders Albretsen's son Gotskalk Andersen (Stenbrikke) m. to Kirsten Eriksdatter Gyldenstierne, wrote himself of K. in 1432, likewise their son Niels Godskesen in 1450, who died unmarried. Fru Kirsten (+ earliest 1468) brought thereafter the farm by a new marriage to rigsråd hr Anders Nielsen (Banner)  of Asdal, Frejstrupgård was now probably laid under K. Before hr Ander's death in 1486 the son Erik Andersen Banner, who in 1479 wrote himself of K., died latest 1483, his widow Karen Stensdatter Gøye (+ earliest 1527) m. 2) to hr. Niels Høg of Eskær etc. (+ 1524) who likewise wrote himself of K. in 1479. At hr Ander's death in 1486 his daughter Anne Andersdatter Banner (+ latest 1490) renounced her right in K. in favor of her brother's children of whom the later rigsråd  and rigsmarsk Erik Eriksen Banner of Asdal etc. became the sole owner of K. He let build new main buildings (Christian III visited K. in 1546). The farm and estate was at his death in 1554 inherited by his son Frands Banner, who also bought Ø  Kloster ( now Oksholm), after his death in 1575 K. went to his daughter Karen Banner (+ 1616), m. 1580 to Henrik Lykke of Overgård etc. (+ 1611). Later the farm came to their son Frands Lykke (+ 1655), who in 1649 exchanged it to Karen Galde. She married after 1656 the much younger Børge Rosenkrantz of Ørup etc. (+ 1679) , but lived separated from him, she resided at K. where she died in 1671. Farm and estate went to her sister Anne Galde of Nørlund (+ 1680), m. to Verner Frederiksen Parsberg of Vrå. At his death in 1686 his son Gude Parsberg inherited (+ 1692) K., but he sold in 1691 the main farm and taxes and som estate to Palle Rantzau of Bratskov, who died the same year. His widow Ingeborg Seefeld married -  the same year - justitsråd Diderik Chr. Braës, she died already in 1695, he died in 1748, when K. came to his son (of 2 marriage to Ingeborg Cathrine Lugge) Peder Enevold Braës, enobled 1733, (+ 1771).

Later owners: Lars Johan Jelstrup, Christen Hviid, Jacob Ludvig v. Fischer-Benzon, 1818 entailed estate Kokkedal - Morten Leth Hastrup, Adolf Hein, Hans Chr. Øckenholt, Peter Schrøder, Rudolf Bruun, Jørgen Chr. Julius Vilh Bruun, S.P.Sørensen -  konsortium -  owner from 1917-1923 prince Erik, V.A. Boyer, N. Th C. Isager, Elisabeth Isager, 1952 the State : foundation of a boys' home.

After 1960: 1948-1976) Socialministeriet; (1976-1988) Nordjyllands Amt, (1988-) Ann Vibeke Lokdam / Gorm Lokdam

Kokkedal Slot  today: (from wikipedia and Magasin Søndag May 2013).
High upon a hill lies Kokkedal slot with a beautiful view across the Limfjord. It is whitewashed, with a red tiled roof and a tower with a copper spire -and surrounded by moats. The buildings were very dilapidated when the married couple Ann Vibeke and Gorm Lokdam bought the estate in 1988, but today Kokkedal is included in their chain of castle hotels. At Kokkedal are 20 individually furnished suites with fourposter beds and 8 holiday houses in the park. The menu in the restaurant is inspired by the authentic slotskøkken and the local commodities of the season. The beefsteaks come from Kokkedal's own Angus cattle and the hunting system delivers the game 


In the Frejstrupmarken southwest of Kokkedal was Frejstrupgård situated (1491 Frystrup, 1638 Frestrup). According to legendary notes in Sophie Brah'es family book F. belonged to a Niels Torstensen (Rotfeld), who possibly is identical with another Niels Torstensen, who was historically attested in 1324 in another connection.  During the peasant revolt in 1441 F. was burnt down and the owner Niels Ovesen was killed, the land was later laid under Kokkedal. The informations in HofmanFund IV 1759. 374 about F.'s owners are unhistorical.

The site of Frejstrupgård is seen as a low bank southwest of Kokkedal in the Frejstrupdalen (a valley). Upon the bank, which never seems to have been surrounded by moats, have been found bricks.

Alsbjerggård was already in the 1300s a noble farm to which Niels Jensen (Seeefeld)( ? ) 1371-1401 wrote himself. His daughter Karen Nielsdatter (Seefeld), widow after Vogn Jepsen (Vognsen of Stenshede)( + latest 1450 )owned the farm in 1450. In 1456-1463 Laurids Dan (Dansøn) wrote hiself of A. Svend Saxstrup owned A in 1470 (or a part of A.), but in the end of the 1400s Karen Lauridsdatter Dan and her husband Jep Jensen (Skovgaard) must have owned a part of the farm, which from them came to their son Jørgen Jepsen Skovgaard of Skovgaard (Brusk herred )(+ 1557). 
Later owners: Hans Skovgaard, Johan Skovgaard, Henrik Lykke, Frands Lykke, Karen Galde. In 1585 ( or in 1539) Alsbjerggård was divided into 4 farms.

In the middle of Alsbjerg village is a disturbed site of the old Alsbjerggård, an irregular place surrounded by lowerings. Some monk bricks were found on the site. Some graves are mentioned in the late 1800s.

According to an unprovable tradition was a nunnery at Torslev church in the Middle Ages, Styvels kloster, where the nuns in ab. 1520 were moved to Ø kloster. Late local legends mention also a monastery with an underground connection to Ø kloster. - The name Styvel ("Styvelet" was later used about a hospital for poor people,which was established in 1740 by Diderik Chr. Braës.  It is certain that southeast of the church hill and south of the church were several old brick buildings.

Torslev Holme (Overholm and Nederholm) was from the old days a common meadow for the old farms in Torslev, Årup and Flegum and the farm Haven, but with specific parts for each farm. After 1 August the grazing rights belonged to the farms in Vesterby in common. After the building of the dam Attrup-Øland the old community stopped.  (1927)
 
Listed prehistorics: At Alsbjerg the passage grave Hvisselhøj which is unique. It has 3 chambers, one behind the other and all connected by door openings. An entrance leads to the outernest and longest chamber. In the passage grave were found several flint axes, flint daggers, clay pots and amber pearls. Furthermore is listed a longhill and 36 hills, mainly in the western section of the parish, several are rather large, like Uglehøj at Alsbjerg and at Årupgård are two large, one lesser hill and a longhill, the only left from a group of 12. 
Demolished or destroyed: 42 hills, almost all upon the hillside in the middle part of the parish. In one were found a woman's grave from early Bronze Age with pieces of cloth and a belt plate.

In Arup kær was found a depot from *Dolktid with 2 flint daggers and 12 scythes.

*Dolktid = 2.300-1.700 B.C.

Names from the Middle Ages: Torslev (1307 Torslef, 1447 Torsleff, Thorsleff); Attrup (1462 Attrup); Alsbjerg (1371 Alsbergh); Flegum (1584 Fligum, 1585 Flegom); Årup (1418 Aarthorp, Ordrup); Kokkedal (1407 Kockedal) Haven (1560 Havgen). 

Source: Trap Danmark, Hjørring amt, 1960.