Øster Velling church/ Øster Velling kirke, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt.

Øster Velling church, ab. 10 km west of Randers.

Øster Velling parish, Middelsom herred, Viborg amt. 

The church without a tower in Øster Velling has a choir and nave and a new porch on the nort side. The older sections: the choir and nave origin from the Romanesque period, built in granite ashlars upon a bevelled plinth, but the church was in 1875 rebuilt because of dilapidation, but with use of old material -  and inaugurated 2 january 1876. The porch seems also to have been renewed in 1875, it was rebuilt again in 1940. The three Romanesque windows of the north side are undoubtedly of Romanesque origin, but extended in the lighting. The north door with old kragsten is still in use, but partly renewed.

The inside of the church got its new look in 1875; it has a beamed ceiling, while the choir was remade again in 1940-41, when a new brickfloor was laid. The altar section is from this last restoration with a table of yellow bricks and above this a crucifix group, made by J.Th. Skovgaard. The former altar decoration, a crucifix from 1875, hangs upon the wall. Three Gothic Saint-figures in wood, found at the loft of the porch, was sent to the National Museum in 1940. A Romanesque granite font with male heads and foliage. The strange square-sided pulpit with winding columns and double fields with sawn balusters is in Renaissance from ab. 1600. In front of this an old parish clerk stool with carved year 1588. The bell without inscription in a hole in the gable, is from early Middle Ages. In the west wall of the nave is inserted a gravestone for Søren Pedersen Velling (+ 1624). In the north wall of the choir a stone for parish priest H.M.Berg. (+ 1787) .

At the rebuild of the church was found a piece of a runestone, now in the National Museum, the only left of the inscription is " -- Thorg-- ".


 
















Øster Velling birk: (judicial)  the king had already in Valdemars Jordebog considerable estate in "Wæling". Later it became a special vasalry, which by queen Margrethe I was leased to Stig Andersen (this must be Stig Andersen Hvide). Around 1500 Erik Ottesen Rosenkrantz was the vasal, after him his son-in-law Predbjørn Podebusk. 5 September 1569 Ø.Velling birk was deeded to Erik Podebusk, it consisted of 13 farms in Øster Velling, Velling Mølle, Torup and Madegård. If Erik Podebusk died without heirs, his wife must keep the vasalry for life, whereafter it again had to go to the Crown. Since the married couple had no children, the king took over the birk. Ab. 1680 the Thing was held at Helstrup mark (field) by the road to Randers. 

 
Listed prehistorics: 7 hills and two petroglyph-stones which were found in the demolished Mandbjerghøj close to Velling Vandmølle (water mill), one stone has several small circles of which some are rewritten with ovals.
Demolished or destroyed: 20 hills, Mandbjerghøj contained a grave from early Bronze Age with sword and belt with gold plate. 


Names in the Middle Ages: Øster Velling (1231 Wæling, 1355 Østerwælyngh).




Source: Trap Danmark, Viborg amt, 1962.

photo: borrowed from Google earth 2013, gb.

Granslev church / Granslev kirke and Bidstrup, Houlbjerg herred, Viborg amt.

 

















The church in Granslev has a Romanesque choir and nave in granite ashlars upon a bevel plinth, but the building is marked by a thorough rebuild in 1766, when justitsråd Lichtenberg re-shaped the room into Rococo and let build a tower to the west,a porch to the south and a chapel westernest on the nave's north side, all in red bricks. The tower has heavy corner pilaster strips and a timbered spire with onion dome-parts under a closed lantern and octagonal peak. The choir, porch and chapel have Baroque-winded, but flat round arched glares.

Granslev in March

The interior is also marked by the stamp of the Rococo - the choir has a highplaced grat-vault, and the nave has a flat, plastered ceiling, while the tower room and the chapel have grat-vaults and the porch a barrel-vault. Most of the inventory origin from the Rococo-rebuild. The altarpiece, a pompous Baroque- structure, probably from 1742 with a painting of Christ. Upon the choir wall panelwork and side-cupboards from the same period as the altarpiece. Heavy Renaissance candelabres, similar to those in Haurum and Sall church. A late Gothic layman's crucifix. A Romanesque granite font with double lions of the "classic" type. A font-edge in wood in achantus-Baroque, a South German bowl from ab. 1575 with pomegranates. Above the font a small crown shaped sounding board. A pulpit in Rococo from the rebuild like the pews, a manor gallery with very non-ecclesiastical landscape-paintings, all in blue, and an organ gallery and the organ, which in an examination in 1942 showed to contain a well-preserved work from early Renaissance-period. A large Renaissance-chandelier. In the tower a clockwork, which according to inscription is "færdet" in 1582 by fru Sidsel Oxe by Laurids Sejermester W.B. (Viborg?) In the chapel, which was abandoned as a funeral chapel in 1879, hangs a large naive 1700s painting of Christ. In the churchyard a worn out gravestone with a woman figure, who holds a cross in her hand.

 

































Bidstrup belonged in 1345 to Peder Jensen (Galskyt),  later to hr. Jens Falk of Vallø, with whose daughter Kirsten it came to hr. Henning Podebusk, who owned it in 1419 and 1421. His daughter Marine brought it to Hans Eriksen; he was written to the farm in 1461-68. In 1498 it belonged to Henrik Eriksen Rosenkrantz ( + 1500),  whose sister brought it to rigsråd Predbjørn Podebusk (+ 1541). In an exchange after him the main part came in 1548 to his daughter-in-law Ermegaard Bille (+ 1564) and her son rigsråd Erik Podebusk (+ 1573). His widow Sidsel Oxe kept B. until her death in 1593, and hereafter it went to Erik P's maternal aunt Ingeborg Bille (+ 1608). One part of B. had gone to Jytte Podebusk m. to Knud Gyldenstierne; it was inherited by the children Predbjørn and Karen Gyldenstierne, and with the last mentioned the part came to Axel Gyldenstierne of Tim (+ 1603), whose son Knud Gyldenstierne  (+ 1636) seems to have bought Ingeborg Bille's part.The sons Arild and Axel Gyldenstierne inherited B., after the death of the last mentioned in 1637 B. was owned by the widow Christence Lindenov (+ 1681), her daughter Øllegaard Gyldenstierne, m. to the famous Kaj Lykke, inhabited the farm at her death 1697,but she had in 1686 let it over to her son-in law Johan Rantzau (+ 1708), whose daughter Christiane Barbara Rantzau brought it to her husband Verner Parsberg (+ 1719). She sold the farm to high court judge Mathias de Poulson (+1729), whose son-in-law Anders Vinding (+ 1766) outbought his co-heirs in 1732, but in 1749 sold B. to Gerhard de Lichtenberg (+ 1764),  who in 1763 had B. and the church and the vicarage established into an entailed estate.

Later owners:  Tycho Honnens, Geert Honnens de Lichtenberg. In 1963 fru Margrethe Honnens de Lichtenberg.  

Bidstrup is listed in class A.

A castle Ilensborg is said to have been placed upon Grønhøj, an isolated bank in Langkær southeast of Bidstrup, but there is no trace of a castle bank. A similar name is connected to two dubious castle banks in Vejerslev parish. 

Listed prehistorics: 17 hills and 3 longhills, of which one is 70 m long. All these hills except one are placed in the forests of Bidstrup, most of them are small.

Demolished or destroyed: 48 hills, several, which have been examined, contained graves from Stone Age's single grave culture.

At Vrangstrup is examined a burial site with 5 partly rich graves from late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages: Granslev (1343 Grandeslef); Knudstrup (1472 Knwstorp, 1478 Knudsstrop);  Vrangstrup (1369 Wrongstrup); Bidstrup (1345 Bistorp); Rødemølle (1683 Røe Mølle); Voermølle (1664 Woer Mølle).

Source: Trap Danmark, Århus amt, 1963.


photo 2006/2011: grethe bachmann

Østergård, Salling, North Jutland, Viborg amt.

Østergård, ab. 19 km north of Skive
Åsted sogn, Harre herred, Viborg amt.

Queen Margrethe I spent the first half of the year 1408 in Jutland, where she with a large entourage of trusted men went from place to place. Whereever she came, new crowds of clericals and secular gentlemen joined her entourage for a shorter or longer period, partly to bask themselves in her favour , partly to settle important business, which was not always of the most pleasant sort. In the month of January the queen stayed in the old royal town Viborg. From here she crossed Thy, where she guested Ørum castle and the now long gone Hillerslevhus - and after having visited Børglum Kloster she arrived in Hjørring in the month of March, from where she continued her travel south to Ålborg, Randers and Århus. At Midsummer-time queen Margrethe was back at Zealand, probably very satisfied with the achieved results. She had won back much royal estate, which was lost during the turbulent times, and she had secured the friendship of the clergy by giving them costy gifts.

Among those who had to show up at the meeting with the queen in Viborg was "Niels Mikkelsen of Nissum, a knight called Krabbe" - he probably did not meet up voluntarily, since he had much on his conscience. His men had broken the church-peace at Kobberup church, and he had himself together with his maternal uncle Niels Kaas and several others repeatedly broken the thing-peace on Fjends herreds Thing. (district-thing.) He therefore had to make amend, but the "the gracious Lady" let him go, if he gave her some estate in Fiskbæk and elsewhere, which unlawfully had been taken from the Crown. If hr. Niels could have lived for another 100 years, he would have enjoyed to see that one of his descendants, rigsmarsk hr. Tyge Krabbe won back this estate by not so fine means - his greatgrandfather would probably have liked that.

Hr. Niels Krabbe returned to Nissum very bad tempered, it was not the first time the queen had been pursuing him. His fortificated castle could not secure him against her and his mighty family neither. The castle was placed north in Salling. The theory is that the small square castle bank, rising steeply from the slope east of Hinnerup Å (river) at Åsted village, which later was called Holmshøj or Sallingholm castle, was his home. It is not easy to see, why he is called "from Nissum", since this village is placed upon the other side of the river and earlier was divided from Holmshøj by both a river and a meadow. From the castle bank a road dam leads northwest out into the meadows where still are seen weak rises ; here were found heavy, driven in poles - the rests of a pile castle, which might have been the successor of the castle bank inland.

The family Krabbe is old in Salling, where it besides Nissum or Østergård owned several manors, like Lundegård at the island Fur, Hostrup, Bustrup, to which the rigsmarsk (Tyge Krabbe) wrote himself, and several others, aldso Krabbesholm. Much indicates that the old members of the family was an unruly and violent flock, who reminded about the family Brock at Gammel Estrup. This nature is also recognizable in the family's most distinguished member Tyge Krabbe, but else made the family their mark by indisputable competence and later also by having spiritual interests. The family was connected to Nissum for a long period. Niels Mikkelsen Krabbe was hardly the first member of the family who lived there - the earlier generations are fairly known - but he wasn't the last. Both his son Morten Krabbe, who was a High Court Judge and owned a rich estate, (+ ab.1483), and his son Glob Krabbe, also named Lucas Krabbe, lived in Nissum, but the old castle was abandoned. Glob Krabbe established the farm (manor) Østergård south of Åsted upon the other side of the river and built the heavy Gothic building, which still stands today. It is one of few manor buildings from the time before the reformation, which has kept its look almost unchanged up till the present.


The manor was built upon a flat, square bank, surrounded by banks and moats, which were kept water-filled by dams. The building is four-winged and includes a small yard, only 8,75 m each square. It is built in late Gothic style in bricks upon a high plinth of raw granite boulder and with a cellar under the whole two-storeyed building. It is said that an inscription was upon a beam in the yard saying that Lucas Krabbe put down the first stone for this foundation in 1516. On the gables of the south wing were earlier a couple of hanging bays , possibly "hemmeligheder" (secrets = toilets). Behind the 2-3 feet thick walls the unruly Krabbes could feel secure towards wronged class companions and peasants. When the peasants in Grevefejden (civil war) ravaged in Salling and let "the red cock"crow (fire) on the castles of their oppressors, they probably also wished to chase the squire of Østergård away from his home, but if they tried to, they probably failed. Later was no need to have a fortificated castle like this, but banks and moats were kept until the 19th century. Now is only a small rest left.

Glob Krabbe died a few years after the reformation (1543)and was buried in Åsted church, where his wife was also buried, and where a head stone reminds them. He had feuds with his peasants till the end. Their son Iver Krabbe (+ 1561), who in his youth had the family's hot blood in his veins, became a rich man, rigsråd and the holder of several important vasalries. He and later his widow bought much estate in exchange with the Crown. This estate was situated near the farm, and he also achieved free birkeret (judicial rights) of all estate in the parish a year before his death. This right followed Østergård until 1688. He probably built the last two wings of the manor.

After his death his widow fru Magdalene Banner kept the farm, she followed her husband to the grave in 1597 and was buried by his side in Åsted kirke. She had given vaults and a new pulpit to the church. It seems that she before her death gave Østergård to her daughter Anne Krabbe, who from 1580 was widow after rigsråd Axel Viffert and later was married to Erik Kaas of Vorgård in Himmerland (+ 1598). She died childless in 1625, but the heirs did not accept the inheritance. Østergård was not taken over by strangers though, it came to her sister's daughter Otte Lindenov of Borreby's widow Anne Tygesdatter Brahe, (+ 1636), and when her son Otte Ottesen Lindenov's widow fru Vibeke Clausdatter Podebusk (+ 1645) - who had a livsbrev (ownerrights for life) on the farm - in 1639 married hr. Knud Ulfeldt of Svenstrup, who was killed in the war 1657, the farm came to him and then to his stepson, kammerherre Christian Lindenov,who was amtmand (district) in Norway and the last of the Krabbe-descendants who owned the old family-farm.


Åsted church

Østergård was in a bad state after the war; 9 farms in Nissum village were destroyed. Christian Lindenov pawned Østergård to the wellknown priest at Vor Frue Kirke in Copenhagen, magister Erik Olufsen Torm, whose widow Søster Worm, a daughter of the famous professor Ole Worm, in 1673 took over farm and estate, which was confirmed by the Supreme Court two years later. The saga of the old nobility was over, and middle-class families moved into Glob Krabbe's old castle. During the latest century it had often been uninhabited and neglected, sometimes owned by people, who lived far away, and sometimes by poor people, who could not pay their bills. Søster Worm managed the farm by a tenant, and after her death in 1685 it came to her son-in-law Jens Henriksen, but times were unfortunate, and he ended up in big debts. He had to pay his peasants with corn and give them horses. This was expensive and he never got anything back.

In 1694 Jens Henriksen had to give up. He sold Østergård to tenant Anders Hansen Høyer at Astrup. He was an indebted man, who had 19 children with three wives, whom he hardly could give food and clothes. He stayed however at the farm until his death in 1727, and the estate went to one of his creditors, the rich mayor Christen Jensen Basballe in Århus, who let it manage by a tenant for about 20 years. It was said that when he grew old, he was so stingy that corn and bullocks piled up at the farm, because he wanted over current price for both this and that. After his death Østergård had several owners. In 1758 it was sold to Niels Andersen Qvistgård.

Qvistgård died only 5 years later, and his widow Johanne Marie Batum brought the farm to her second husband Christian Kjærulff, who in vain tried to sell it. When both he and his wife had died in 1777 in Nykøbing (Mors), where they lived for several years, Østergård was bought by his stepsons Jens og Anders Nielsen Qvistgård. The last mentioned was sole owner in 1786, since Jens had bought a farm in Himmerland. Anders Qvistgård was dependent on alcohol and once caused a scandal when drunk in Åsted kirke, but else he was seemingly a solid Jutland farmer, who took care of his estate and tried to introduce improvements. In order to have disposal over the water - which run in abundance through his meadows and moors - he outbought at a costy expense the copyholder of Nissum Water Mill and let it replace by a wind mill. This showed to be a profit, but else were his improvements hardly radical enough.


Farm buildings close to Østergård, disfiguring the old medieval castle
The ferry to the island Fur north of Åsted and Østergård.

The farm was managed by villeinage until 1805, when all the estate was sold. The main part was already in Iver Krabbe's time in Åsted parish, another part in the neighbouring parishes. While the estate was still complete, the added tiender (taxes) changed all the time. Knud Ulfeldt had a couple of churches added to the farm in 1640, but they were lost in 1673. In 1699 Anders Høyer got a deed on Åsted kirke from the king, but this did not follow the farm permanently. Anders Qvistgård owned the kirketiender (church taxes) of Åsted and Nautrup parish and held the royal taxes of the same parishes, but in 1806 only the two churches were part of the farm. Anders Qvistgård died already in 1792; the following year farm and estate came on auction and sold to Thomas Thomsen of Vindum Overgård. He had moved to Jutland from Funen some years ago, and he gradually became the owner of several big farms in Jutland.

In the beginning of the following century it was told that Østergård, Eskjær and Astrup were the only manors in Salling with a dairy. Thomsen had been a co-owner of Eskjær, the other part belonged to his relative. In 1804 Thomsen sold the whole estate, for which he had paid 42.ooo rigsdaler, to three speculators, who paid 100.000 rigsdaler. After a royal licence they sold the copyhold-estate and let in 1806 the main farm and the taxes go back for 56.500 rigsdaler to the previous owner, who kept it until his death in 1823, after which the wellknown studefeder (he was making bullocks fat!) Nis Nissen of Spøttrup became the owner. After him followed kammerråd Hans Tørsleff (1836-46). During the next 100 years the farm had several owners: kammerherre Ernst Emil Rosenørn (1855-71), Johan Chr. Brinck-Seidelin (1871-85), Erik Oscar Julius Hedemann of Nyholm (1885-90), Vallø Stift, who sold it in 1906 to lieutenant Axel Lemming Froberg, who owned Østergård for more than 36 years , until he sold it in 1943 to greve Adam Cyrille Knuth, Hesselbjerg. In 1945 Østergård was bought by a consortium, where J.M.Skov became the sole owner. Owners in 1966 Kristen and Kjeld Skov.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 12, 1966, Nordvestjylland, Østergård, by arkivar, cand.mag. S. Nygård.

Østergård i dag:
In the summer 1998 was the Danish State ready to take over the very decayed buildings. Restorations started in June 2000 with an expected finish in the castle's 500 years jubilee in 2016!


photo Østergård og Åsted 2004: grethe bachmann

Stadil church / Stadil kirke, Hind herred, Ringkøbing amt.

Stadil kirke, 10 km north of Ringkøbing
Stadil sogn, Hind herred, Ringkøbing amt.

Stadil church is beautifully situated close to Stadil fjord at the outflow of Tim Å-river. The church is visible far away in the flat West Jutland landscape with the high sky above. It was possibly inaugurated to Sct. Laurentius, but is mentioned in 1514 as Sct. Hans (John) Evangelist Kirke. It has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions, a tower to the west and a porch to the north. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a double plinth. Both original doors are kept, the south door walled in, while the north door is in use. The choir has a round arched window to the east, which is walled in the lysning (light part) - and to the north is a similar window traceable. In the south side of the nave is a round arched window in use. At the church gate entrance to the north lies a monolite coverstone.



relief of lion? / bearded male head with tiara or crown


kragsten (inside the church) and a Romanesque piscina

In the walls of the nave are among other things inserted a picture ashlar, showing a strange bearded male head with a tiara or crown. In the north side of the choir an indistinct carving with a bird or animal. In the south side of the nave an ashlar with a majuskel-inscription which letters are clear but without meaning. At the west side of the tower stands a Romanesque piscina, a granite basin with outlet for washing altar vessels.


interior

The golden altar and the Romanesque baptismal font.

Inside the choir and nave have a beamed ceiling, and the broad choir arch has richly carved kragsten, to the north a dragon and to the south an archade frieze. The tower was built west of the nave in the late Gothic period; its bottom section in granite ashlars is a little broader than the upper section in monk bricks.The bottom room has a cross vault, and the narrow tower arch is extended by a door opening. At the north east corner is a stair tower with lead roofs and a pointed gable. The porch is also late Gothic and mostly built in monk bricks. Tower and porch are white-chalked while the other building sections stand in a blank ashlar wall.

The church has got an unusually rich inventory, which in 1901 was restored by the National Museum. The Romanesque walled communion table, in which was found a saint's grave in 1901 with a reliquary of Sct Laurentius (now at the National Museum) is covered by a luxurious carved panel in late Renaissance from ab. 1625. The impressive altar piece is a structure with four corinthic pillars, Evangelist reliefs, crucifixion and resurrection. The grand field is a magnificent Romanesque altar front, covered in gilt and browned copper plates, one of the famous golden altars from ab. 1200. The beaten reliefs are mounted in rock crystals.


Pulpit in late Renaissance/ Pews in late Renaissance with coat of arms.

Late Gothic altar candelabres. A small late Medieval mess bell hangs in its original place in the roof of the choir. In the choir is a late Gothic parish clerk /priest stool with gables decorated with cruciferic flowers and fials and with a fragmentaric minuskel-inscription A small late Gothic choir arch crucifix. A Romanesque granite font in West Jutland type with rope ornaments and a strange foot with small archades and high corner claws. A wooden font in late Renaissance from ab. 1640-50 with a contemporary sounding board is not in use. A very large pulpit in late Renaissance, similar to the altar piece, with a contemporary sounding board. A magnificent pew section in late Renaissance from 1634 and 1647 ,the upper section with the paternal and maternal coat of arms of Knud Gyldenstierne. Pulpit from ab. 1650 with good paintings of Christ and the apostles. Between nave and porch is an interesting door-wing, probably late Romanesque with archade fields. Two late Gothic figures, a Virgin Mary and a Kristoforus are at Ringkøbing Museum.


view from altar section to gallery with paintings.


wooden font in late Renaissance with sounding board.

Manors in Stadil sogn:
Søndervang possibly belonged to Bo Høg, who was said to pawn it to his brother-in-law at Vosborg. In 1424 his paternal grandson Lage Rød had a feud with Ingeborg Vendelbo of Vosborg about S. In 1464 and 1496 it belonged to the væbner (esquire) Claus Jensen (Skeel?) whose daughter fru Edel (+ after 1552) married Josef Rekhals, who in 1511 is mentioned of S. In 1538 it seems that Predbjørn Podebusk of Vosborg and Peder Ebbesen (Galt) owned a part of the farm. Josef Rekhals' daughter Birgitte brought it to her husband Terkel Pedersen, væbner (esquire) of Føvling (+ o. 1563), whose daughter Maren was married to Erik Vognsen, who in 1563 and 1593 is written of S. In 1603, after it had burnt down recently, it belonged to Mads Thomesen, who in 1607 conveyed it to Knud Gyldenstierne of Tim (+ 1636), whose daughter Jytte (+ 1640) brought it to her husband rigsråd (counsellor of state) hr. Otte Thott of Næs (+ 1636), who put the land of Pittrup and Nymark under the main farm, which he in 1653 sold to his brother-in-law Jørgen Rosenkrantz of Keldgård, who owned it with adjoined estate in 1662. From him it went back to the sister Dorthe Rosenkrantz, Otte Thott's widow, who in 1667 with her son-in-law Jørgen Krabbe and her stepson Knud Thott conveyed S. with adjoined estate to dr. med. Thomas Fuiren (+ 1673). After him it belonged to his brother's son Didrik Fuiren of Fuirendal (+ 1686), his widow Margrethe Eilers of Støvringgård (+ 1708) and her daughter friherreinde (baroness)Christine Fuiren (+ 1735), married to gehejmeråd Jens Harboe (+ 1709), after whom it with Østertoft was sold at auction to regimentskvartermester (military-chief) Svenning Andersen (+ 1760), whose estate in 1760 conveyed it to krigsråd (war counsellor) Peder Panderup of Marsvinslund, who in 1769 convyed it with taxes and estate plus the farm Østertoft to generalauditør (military title) Andreas Høyer of Irup (+ 1782). Later owners: Brockdorff, Toft, Slot, The Credit Institution, Skibsted, a consortium; from 1947 A. Kolby.

Østertoft was in 1668 conveyed by Dorthe Rosenkrantz of Søndervang to ridefoged (bailiff) at the same place Laurids Jensen (+ 1681) and it seems it came with his daughter to Rasmus Andersen of Søgård, whose daughter was married 1. time to Knud Hansen Rafn of Ø. (+ 1698) and the 2. time to Thomas Pedersen of Ø. and Staby Kærgård (+ 1730), whose widow Karen Riegelsdatter in 1731 together with her stepdaughter's husband Claus Caspergaard (later of Todbøl) conveyed Ø. to fru Christine Fuiren, and after this Ø. was a farm under Søndervang.


Vest Stadil Fjord

In Stadilholm is in 1455 mentioned væbner (esquire) Las Daa, who in 1456 pawned Pilegård and Østergård in Stadil sogn (parish) to priest Jens Jepsen same place and in 1459 conveyed it to bishop in Ribe Henrik Stangeberg, who had to redeem the pawn himself.

Stadilø is in 1583 named "Stalø" and was owned by Folmer Rosenkrantz of Stensballegård.

Kampgård was according to legend an earlier king's castle. Before the reformation it belonged to gråbrødreklostret (Fransiscan)in Ribe, but was in 1547 bought by Claus Sehested. In 1688 it was under Søndervang.

Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Stadil (1263 Stathel), Stadilby (1688 Stadel bye), Mejlby (1263 Mæthelby), Opstrup (1321 Opstorp), Fuglbjerg (1438 Fowælbergh), Stadilø (1610 Staddel Øe), Søndervang (1424 Synderwong), Søtoft (1624 Siøe tofft), Dybkær (1493 Dyker), Skadborg (1664 Schadborrig), Højen (1664 Paa Høyenn, Bjerg (1664 Paa Bieririg).

In the parish was earlier (besides the above mentioned Stadilholm (1455 Stathelholm, * 1489 Holm), also mentioned Pilegård (1340 Pylægaardh), and Østergård (1340 Østergord) in Opstrup; furthermore the farms Højstadil (1688 Høystadell), Holgård (1688 Huolgaardt) and Bertelsgård (1688 Bertelszgaardt).

There are no preserved prehistorics in the area, but there were 3 now out-ploughed hills, among those the large Bavnehøj i Opstrup. - At Alrum was examined a settlement from early Roman Iron Age.

Kilde :Trap Danmark, Ringkøbing amt, 1965.


photo Stadil 2003/2004: grethe bachmann & stig bachmann nielsen Naturplan Foto

Nørre Vosborg, West Jutland, Ringkøbing amt.

Among many permanent castles built in West Jutland during the Middle Ages was Vosborg, one of the castles with the oldest history. It was originally built southwest of the present farm and close to the place where Storåen (river) runs out into Nissum Fjord. The name Vosborg is from Old Norse óss = mouth of å. Oseborg/Osborg with a first letter pronunciation: w = wosborg.

The castle Oseborg was situated north of the river, the farm buildings were south, and between was a valuable salmon-farm. The outlets of the river have moved longer to the north and the castle bank lies  by a rest of the earlier river: Gammelå. (Old river). The legend tells about a castle at the bank, which the mighty Niels Bugge of Hald let build by an English building master. Niels Bugge inherited the place from his father Bugge Nielsen of Hegnet. At the castle bank are vaguely traceable foundations, maybe from a very large four-winged building with a tower.

Niels Bugge was murdered in Middelfart in 1359. His widow Ingeborg Pedersdatter Vendelbo survived him for many years and has probably owned Vosborg for a period, possibly until 1388, where she held administration of hr. Niels' estate. From his numerous estates the manors Vosborg, Støvringgård and Lundholm (a main farm at Skagen which was destroyed by sand) went to his daughter Eline (Ellen), who was married to marsk hr. Christiern Vendelbo, the owner of many Jutland farms. All his daughters (sons of him are not known) were married to men from the finest families in the country, the daughter Ingeborg of Vosborg to the widower Predbjørn Podebusk of Egholm at Sjælland, a son of Valdemar Atterdag's og dronning Margrethe's faithful man. Vosborg stayed in this family for some years.


Nørre Vosborg before restoration


Nørre Vosborg after restoration 2008

A letter is by accident preserved from 1407, where a Danzig-captain in Low German complains that he had stranded "vor deme slote Oseborgh in Jutlande in ghebede heren Prittberns van Potbusch", whom he partly had to give some cloth as salvage money, partly sell some cloth at a moderate price, which he else had to bring to queen Margrethe. It is understandable that the captain was displeased, but the treatment of shipwrecked people was generally very ruthless, so it seems that Predbjørn Podebusk was rather humane compared to others. He still lived in 1425, very old. His widow, who lived 34 years later, possibly owned Vosborg long after his death. Then it came to the son Claus Podebusk, who died in the middle of the 1470s. He had several children with his first wife Jytte Evertsdatter Moltke. The son Predbjørn became the owner of Vosborg during a couple of generations.

Hr. Predbjørn Podebusk, who already is mentioned of "Osborg" in 1477, which he owned until his death in 1541, became - partly by inheritance, partly by marriage, first to Vibeke Rosenkrantz of Bidstrup (+ 1506), then to Anne Gyldenstierne of Aagaard og Bregentved, who was a widow after hr. Oluf Krognos of Krapperup - one of the richest men of his time. Via his family connections and his riches and possibly also because he was a clever man, he played an important role during his long life, but he was very repulsive, brutal and obstinate, quarrelsome and self-willed. He early became a member of rigsrådet, he had many large vasalries, i.e. Riberhus, by which his wealth was increased. He joined, when the reformation-rebellion started, the Catholic party.


before the restoration


after the restoration

When Niels Bugge according to legend had built his magnificent castle , he was foretold that someone in a blue cape would come from the west and break down the castle and the tower. The person in the blue cape was Vesterhavet (North Sea). This prophecy came true in 1532 when a great storm broke all barriers and caused terrible havocs in West Jutland. In a king's letter at Christmas time the king described the great storm and all the damage.

Since the old Vosborg was so close to the fjord and in a low terrain, it is probable that it was damaged badly. The owners might have thought that now was the time to be in more safe surroundings. A new castle was built about one kilometer to the northeast. There are possibly nothing left from those buildings, but the earth works and moats around farm and park suppossedly origin from that time. It is obvious that the great plan was not a common fortification. Undoubtedly was the outer bank mostly a dam/dike, which had to secure the castle against a new storm like in 1532, but to the east, where the attackers had firm ground under their feet, the plan worked as a fortification.


before the restoration


after the restoration

The old quarrelsome Predbjørn Podebusk died in 1541, but first 7 years later was held administration of estate after him, and Vosborg came to his son-in-law Knud Gyldenstierne, the Catholic bishop of Fyns Stift, who after having been forced to give up his crocier had married Predbjørn's daughter Jytte, who was a widow after Niels Brock of Estrup (+ 1534), together with her sister's son Gregers Holgersen Ulfstand, whose mother Anne Predbjørnsdatter Podebusk had died after only one year's happy marriage to rigsråd Holger Ulfstand of Skabersø (+ 1542).

In 1551 the two owners shared farm and estate. Thus arose two farms, the original farm got later the name Nørre Vosborg, while the new farm was named Sønder Vosborg after its placement to the south. It was originally built upon the place, where the old destroyed castle had been or maybe at the place of the farm-buildings south of the old outlets of Storåen (river). Sønder Vosborg was at Christmas time 1593 exposed to a new storm, and after this it was moved to the northeast and existed as a manor until 1799, when a company of manor-slaughters killed it completely. The estate now exists as a smaller proprietær-gård (farm.)


at café and restaurant before restoration

The cosy café has now been moved and changed....


into a cafeteria........

Among Nørre Vosborg's many wellknown owners was Knud Gyldenstierne -one of the most prominent. He was very important to Vosborg, also by in 1550 to buy Oluf Munk of Tvis Kloster's estate in Ulfborg parish, among which was the present Skærum Møllegård at Storå (river), which was a large estate. He transferred it to his main farm, which thus was considerably increased. He also became the owner of Skærum chapel, which he a few years later was told sharply by the king to break down since it had become known that it was used for "idolatry and other bad habits". The tradition says that materials from here was used for building the eastern wing of Nørre Vosborg.

Knud Gyldenstierne's son Predbjørn became in 1560 Nørre Vosborg's owner. He was like most of his predecessors a man who played an important role in his time and from 1596 a member of rigsrådet. After the death of his first wife Birgitte Rosensparre he married in 1589 Mette Hardenberg, who a few years later was afflicted by a serious disease, which created a great stir at that time, because people meant that "the evil spirit" persecuted her. He "has beaten her and allured her when she has mentioned God, so that her body is one bloody flesh " it was said and he pricked in her shinbones, "so they are still in cracks and wounds", but finally she got rid of the evil spirit and was "pretty, healthy and felt fit". These troubles did not afflict her at Vosborg.

Predbjørn Gyldenstierne was buried below a magnificent epitaph in Ulfborg church in 1616 beside his first wife, and 13 years later fru Mette was buried here too. She had spent her last years on her paternal farm Skovsbo at Fyn (Funen). Their son Knud Gyldenstierne, who was oppressed by debt, had already in 1626 sold Nørre Vosborg to his brother-in-law Jens Juel of Åbjerg. It was the first time in 300 years the farm changed owner in this way. The new owner belonged to a respected family and was also a man in high positions. He was like his predecessors a member of rigsrådet, but also vice regent in Norway for some years. After having bought Nørre Vosborg it seems that he regarded it his real home. After his early death in 1634 his widow Ide Hansdatter Lange - who also owned (1638) Aabjerg, Udstrup and Stenumgård - lived there until 1649, when she was killed in an accident.This couple had no sons, and their sons-in-law shared their estates.



The chancellor in Norway,the later assessor in statskollegiet and højesteret, gehejmeråd Ove Bielke of Østråt became the owner of Nørre Vosborg. He had been married to a daughter Maren Juel, who died in 1644 after having given him a daughter Ide Sophie, who later was married to Knud Gjedde of Vadskærgård, who sometimes is written to Nørre Vosborg, but since Ide Sophie died long before her father without leaving any children, the relationship by marriage ended and the farm came at Ove Bielke's death in 1674 to the daughter Maren from his second marriage to Regitze Gjedde. Maren was in 1671 married to amtmand in Trondheim Joachim Frederik Vind of Gundestrup in Skåne, who in April 1687, a few months before his death, sold Nørre Vosborg by contract for only 10.000 rigsdaler to oberst Herman Frans von Schwanewede of Sønder Vosborg.

Schwanewede had distinguished himself several times in the Skånske Krig, which gave him a reputation as a magician and a quick advancement. He was not a peaceable man, he quarrelled with God and everyone. Buying Nørre Vosborg brought him into a long-winded process and he was always in a quarrel with the other landowners by Nissum Fjord. There were many tales about him, one told that he at his death in 1697 hardly escaped the claws of the devil, but that one of the parish priests came to his rescue. His wife fru Christence Dyre survived him till 1705, and the married couple was buried in the Gyldenstierne-chapel in Ulfborg church. Their heirs kept Sønder Vosborg for a time, but put in 1706 Nørre Vosborg at an auction. It was bought by the rich Christen de Linde's son-in-law Niels Leth, who was enobled two years later, mostly because he had got married into a new nobility family.



the park is known for its 1001 rhododendron

Leth's widow fru Maren de Linde kept the farm from her husband's death in 1711 until 1745, where she sold it to her son Henrik Johan de Leth. She was in straitened circumstances in the last years of her life, and it seems that her son was not much better off, even though he was a skilled farmer, who in many ways tried to improve the property. Since he was very strict to his peasants and according to tradition a bully towards them, he was later told to be a ghost in many stories. He died in 1754, the year before his mother, and three years later in 1757 his widow Sophie Kirstine de Linde,who was his cousin, sold farm and estate to her son Christen Linde de Leth, but was like her mother-in-law living at the farm until her death 30 years later.

The new owner became in 1761 landsdommer in Nørrejylland, later byfoged in Holstebro and herredsfoged in the two neighbour-districts, in 1774 he became justitsråd. He lived a merry life at Nørre Vosborg, which did not help much on the modest conditions. He died in 1778 by falling off his horse on his way from Holstebro to Nørre Vosborg. The next year was the farm on auction and bought by a relative Christen Linde Friedenreich of Sønder Vosborg, who was a simple man, who lived in peace and understanding with his peasants and took care of his farms and bullocks, of which he in good years had 5-600 in the stable - and about 60-100 at Nørre Vosborg.
Linde Friedenreich was not married, and shortly after his death in 1786 his estates were on auction and sold for a little more than 170.000 rigsdaler. Nørre and Sønder Vosborg were bought by two brothers købmand Peder Tang in Ringkøbing and kancelliråd Søren Tang of Tim. It must have been a great day for the brothers, when they took Niels Bugge's old farm in possession, since they were the sons of a copyholder from the estate.

Nørre Vosborg was very dilapidated and Peter Tang had enough to do bringing the neglected farm back on its feet. The farm building burnt down in lightning in 1647 and was very ramschackled. He built if again in 1788 from the ground. In 1790 he built at the eastern entrance a monumental, pilaster-decorated gate tower. He gave Nørre Vosborg ab. 1797 to his only child, the son Niels Kiær Tang, a fine and friendly personality, who was a judicial candidate. He became landvæsenskommissær and kammerråd. He died already in 1814 and his widow Marie Cathrine Meinert (+ 1855) married two years later amtsprovst dr. theol. Conrad Daniel Koefoed in Ribe, who then became the owner of the farm. He died as bishop in 1831.




In 1824 Koefoed sold the farm and estate to his three stepsons, of which the two eldest, the priest Peter Tang and later justitiarius Christian Noe Tang, two years later sold their part to the youngest Andreas Evald Meinert Tang, who owned it for many years. He improved and embellished it and collected all the legends in its history - and he made by his hospitality the farm a center of the district. He bought parcels and other estate which had been sold from the farm and also bought most of the sold copyhold farms. Nørre Vosborg was complete again in 1834. He was probably the first in the area, who started to drain (1856) with pipes from his own tile works, and he was among the first, who had the courage to plant a plantation that close to the North Sea. He made more changes at Nørre Vosborg, and in 1868 the south wing was extended to the east so it was in line with the east wing. Thus the castle yard had got its present look. At the entrance to the farm buildings Tang built in 1853 for his eldest brother, the priest Peter Tang (+1876) a villa in style like the east wing of the manor and named it Vosborglille, later used as a dower house.

After his death in 1868 his widow Marie Elise, née Fenger (+ 1885) lived at the farm for some years after having sold a large part of the estate. She transferred Nørre Vosborg in 1878 together with Skærum Mølle, Nørre Tang and the rest of the estate to her son-in-law bryggeriejer Henrik Stampe Valeur, who in his short ownership established the large plantation northeast of the farm down to Storå (river). Since his early death in 1880 Nørre Vosborg belonged to his widow, etatsrådens oldest daughter fru Christine Lorentze Tang Valeur, who in her long life faithfully held on to the paternal traditions and protected the rich memories of the farm and the family. In 1923 she gave Nørre Vosborg to two sister's children, skoleinspektør frøken Anna Tang Barfod and her brother Peter Niels Andreas Tang Barfod. At the end of 1931 the brother became the sole owner and moved into Vosborglille.

In 1946 it looked as though Nørre Vosborg's time as a manor was out. Godsejer Tang Barfod sold it to a couple of property-dealers who wanted to outparcel the old manor. Some areas had already been sold, when overretssagfører Janus Frederik Krarup, owner of Nordfeld, intervened on behalf of the family, since he as a great-grandchild of Niels Kiær Tang, suddenly arrived as a buyer. The old family estate was saved, the main part of the culture-historical valuable inventory, the old furniture, family portraits etc. were allowed to stay in their old place. Krarup worked until his death untiringly to consolidate the neglected estate ; after a fire in 1949 the southern farm wing and the dilapidated castle was restored in 1954-60. After Janus Krarup's death Nørre Vosborg was owned by his widow fru Margrethe Krarup.

Source: Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 13, Nørre Vosborg, by arkivar, cand mag. S. Nygård.

Nørre Vosborg was recently restored with finish in 2008.

Nørre Vosborg today:

photo 2006/2008: grethe bachmann

Nørre Vosborg and Ulfborg church /Ulfborg kirke, Ulfborg herred, Ringkøbing amt.

22 km west of Holstebro

Nørre Vosborg in 2008

Nørre Vosborg in 2003

Nørre Vosborg in 2008

Nørre Vosborg in 2003
Nørre Vosborg is a successor of one of the oldest of the many fortificated borge (castles) which during the Middle Ages were established along the western coast of Jutland. Vestjylland played an important role in the Middle Ages. Its original name is Oseborg, which means borgen ved åmundingen ( by the mouth of the river) - and it is placed close to the mouth of Storåen by Ringkøbing Fjord.

Parts of it must have belonged to Erik Menved who in 1299 offered to give some of the estate to bishop Jens Grand. Later it belonged to hr. Niels Bugge and was after the assassination of him and his men in Middelfart in 1359 confiscated by Valdemar Atterdag - but after her father's death in 1375 Margrethe I gave parts of the confiscated estate back to the descendants of the murdered noblemen "for kongens sjælefreds skyld" (for the sake of the king's peace of mind).

The estate came to marsk Christiern Vendelbo who was married to Niels Bugge's daughter Ellen Nielsdatter Bugge. By inheritance and marriage the family Podebusk kept the manor until 1548 where it via Jytte Podebusk came to her husband, the former bishop Knud Gyldenstierne who was released from his celibacy after the reformation. He extended the estate with Skærumgård. Various owner up to the present.

The main building is listed in class A. The present plan is as a whole built over four centuries by various owners. It is unique with four various houses and its situation. Originally the manor was placed about 1 km south west of the earlier mouth of Storåen in Nissum fjord, where the motte is still seen, but after a destructive storm in 1532 rigsråd Predbjørn Podebusk moved the manor further into the land to its present place where he established the large motte which is protected by double water-filled moats.

Nørre Vosborg was as the first manor building in Denmark honoured with the Europa Nostra Prize, which was presented on 25 March 1982 in connection to the opening of Nørre Vosborg as a herregårdsmuseum. In the park are 1001 rhododendrons. There is a restaurant and a caféteria.

Link: Nørre Vosborg


In the park

West of the present manor in the meadow Hestehaven by Gammelåen's delta in Nissum fjord is a motte, probably the motte from the earlier Nørre Vosborg which was destroyed in 1532. According to tradition the first Nørre Vosborg must have been at an area which was swallowed by the sea and driven in poles have been found out in Nissum fjord.

Skærum/Skærumgård was possibly more than one farm and was a part of the estate which prince Buris gave to Tvis kloster. Jens Klausen with a wheel in his coat of arms is mentioned in Skærum in 1477 and 1484. After the reformation the Crown exchanged -together with Tvis Kloster - Skærum to Oluf Munk. At the farm was a chapel and a sacred well in the Middle Ages. A Romanesque font basin was there until 1920. At Tinghøj in the western part of the parish was held the herredsting (the thing of the district) for a period - and the place of execution was at the closeby Galgehøj. Later the thing was held at Ulfborg Church and from 1638 in Madum Church.

In the eastern part of the parish are several big burial mounds. A settlement from Gudenåkulturen is known by Skærum Bro (bridge). A burial site from Roman Iron Age was found at Skærum Mølle (mill) and another Iron Age burial site north of Ulfborg Stationsby. In a couple of hills north of Nørre Vosborg are burial sites from Iron Age and Viking period.



Nørre Vosborg by the old café in 2003

The cosy old café or the old restaurant have disappeared. Now is an exclusive restaurant and a modern caféteria.
photo 2003 and 2008: grethe bachmann

Ulfborg Church
The church has Romanesque choir and nave with a western tower, cross-arm, chapel and porch. The extensions are from the late Middle Ages an built in ashlars and monk bricks. A Romanesque window is preserved in the choir gable and one in each side of the nave. In the church wall is an ashlar with a male head and another with animal figures in the west portal of the church yard.

The choir and nave have beamed ceilings. The communion table is in ashlars and the Lutheranian triptychon from 1585 is equipped with a new painting. The Romanesque granite font with a Renaissance sounding board is a vestjysk (west Jutland) type. The magnificent lektorieprædikestol (pulpit) stretches across the church and is a rich Renaissance work from ab. 1587 (remade in 1599). Pretty closed Renaissance stoolsections from the beginning of the 1600s. In the western section of the nave is a gallery from 1642 with paintings. The church bell from 1457 has a minuskel-inscription (small letters). In the chapel is a large sandstone epitaph for rigsråd Preben Gyldenstierne (+1616) and his two wives. The church yard is surrounded by stone dikes with a double portal to the south and two lesser portals to the east.


The unique entrance to Nørre Vosborg
photo 7. juni 2003: grethe bachmann