Haraldsted church / Haraldsted kirke, Ringsted herred, Sorø Amt

The church in Haraldsted has a Romanesque nave and a Gothic sacristy, longhouse choir, porch and tower. The Romanesque nave is a large building in travertine and raw boulder. The southern door is extended, while the northern is bricked up. The longwalls had each three windows, to the north all are kept as bricked up, while to the south only the westernest is traceable from the porch loft, glared behind the window glade. Ab. 1400 the nave had three cross vaults. The bottom section of the western tower, which possibly contains older sections, are built in mixed material, limestone and bricks, and it seems to be dated 1478 in an inscription in limestone on the south wall: "Dominus Ihesus Christus, alpha et omega, deus et homo, Maria, Johannes, sanctus Petrus, Herluf Skave, Fru Ølgoer, dominus Ericus Laurencii, Jep Andersen, Matis Tote. Anno Domini mcdlxx octavo."  Furthermore a clog with trunk is seen. Easternest on the north side an original stairhouse, where the bottom, flatcurved door is bricked up. To the south and west are remade windows in a threefoil-curved "mirror". The tower room was overvaulted after 1500, and a new upper section was built with a stairhouse to the south.On the east side of this and on the west side of the tower are carved limestone heads. The roof gables of the tower were rewalled in 1866. Before the original choir was demolished, was in ab. 1500 built a sacristy in bricks with three small, flatcurved windows and a glare-gable. In the beginning of the 1500s, possibly 1520 (acc. to a choir bench)  the choir was replaced by a longhouse choir with two flatcurved, outside rabbet windows in the south wall. The porch to the south from ab. 1500 was in 1520 enheightened with a floor-divided glare gable.

The walled communion table is covered in a panelwork from ab. 1550-75 with a  painted Renaissance-decoration, which copies intarsia around  a medaillon with a portrait of a man and a woman in contemporary dress. The altarpiece is a carved work in Renaissance from 1601, probably made by a Roskilde master. Altar chalice from ab. 1400, remade 1674. Candelabres in  silver plate from 1719. A pair of  mismatched Gothic candelabres are kept at Skjoldenæsholm, and a pair belonging together are at the National Museum. Altar crucifix  from the 1600s, probably from a coffin. In the footpiece of the altarpiece is an enamel painting  from 1700s, given to the church in 1817.  A side altar for Sct. Jørgen (George) in the choir was removed in 1816, and on this occassion was found a shrine with a relic in a parchment piece with inscription: " Anno 1514 Sanct Michels dag lagde vi..." Another side altar in the choir has disappeared later. Above the font is a thurible from the 1400s. The monstranshouse from 1527 is a rich late Gothic woodcarving with an upper part with spire. Cup-shaped ore cast font by the caster Olaf Henriksen Kegge. The baptismal bowl is from 1665-66. A late Gothic choir arch crucifix with a hovering angel from ab. 1525. The pulpit in Renaissance from ab. 1625 was probably made by Hans Holt in Køge or Copenhagen. At the original place by the wall of the choir is a late Gothic choir-bench, which by an inscription is dated 1520; furthermore a parish clerk-chair in the same work with flower gables and the coat of arms of bishop Lage Urne.The gables from the parish clerk-chair were together with a third late Gothic gable used in a new choir-chair by the north wall of the choir, and its present gables do not belong here. In the door of the nave is an excellent late Gothic door-wing from 1525 with the coat of arms of the pope and bishop Lage Urne. (probably made by the same master as the bishop's celebrant chair in Roskilde cathedral). Bells: 1) 1747 by Joh. Barth. Holtzmann;  2) 1779, M.C Troschell. The church yard has to the south and east partly medieval walls, with a gate to the south.

Knud Lavard's Kapel

Knud Lavard was buried in Haraldsted church (he was later buried in Ringsted church), after he was murdered in the forest at Haraldsted (Harrested Ore, "Lavardskov"), where he the night before had visited his family, Cæcilia, the daughter of Knud den Hellige and her husband Erik, earl and chief of Falster. Where Knud Lavard was killed, tells Saxo, a spring gushed up as a healing power for people (later in the Middle Ages another spring is mentioned, it came up where the bearers placed the stretcher while resting, when they brought the body from Haraldsted church to Ringsted). The tradition connected for a long time the memory about Knud Lavard and the holy spring to "Sværtekilde" 2 km north of Haraldsted village. It now lies upon an open field, but a long time ago it was surrounded by forest.  (here was still in the 1800s held mysterious midsummer feasts). It was also at this place where the chapel, built in the honor of Knud Lavard, supposedly was situated. This chapel had disappeared already in the 1500s, since a letter of 20/ 4 1566 from the Ringsted-abbot Frands Andersen to Frederik II mentions that there was a chapel at the small "Kellegaard" (Kildegård: kilde = spring), where the priest lived, and which earlier was used by the kloster-person, who had the supervision of the chapel for the sake of the indulgence-sale. In 1855, when Frederik VII let make examinations at Ringsted, they also searched in vain for the rests of this chapel at Sværtekilden by Kastrupgård. In some new examinations in 1883 dr. Henry Petersen found the ruin, but in quite another place, namely east northeast of Haraldsted village, at a place, which on the map was referred to as Kildemur ( = spring wall), close to the outskirt of V. After the reformation the chapel was probably used secularly, maybe for scullery or bakery. In the forester's lot outside the Hellebjergskoven (forest) was raised a cross 8/6 1902, Knud Lavard's kors, a 4 m tall wooden cross with a copper roof, given by Thor Lange with the inscription: "Hellig Knud Hertug, + 7 Jan. 1131" and upon a shield "Sursum corda". In 1912 was at the church place raised a memorial, also given by Thor Lange, with one of his inscriptions: " Her stod Haraldsted Kongsgaard." and below "Taarn og Tinde Tid forøder, Fortids Minde Fremtid føder." ( something like: time destructs tower and spire, but the prehistoric memory feeds the future)       













About 700 m east of the church lies the ruin (excavated 1884) of Knud Lavard's kapel, a Romanesque plan with apse, choir and nave, which already in the Romanesque period was extended to the west. The building was built ab. 1150 in travertine ashlars upon a double plinth, above which the walls are kept till 1 m height. The original door-places to the south and north have outer rabbet and inside bevelled frames. Still in the Romanesque period, possibly ab. 1170, the nave was extended to the west, also with travertine and upon a similar plinth. The door in the extension to the west has an outer rabbet, but straight frames. The chapel was overvaulted in ab. 1250, and at the same time the original doors were bricked up, and a new brick door was made in the north wall of the nave. In the western section of the building was found a brick floor in zigzag-pattern, probably from the same period as the vaults.

Haraldsted belonged acc. to Valdemars jordebog to the king and worked probably as its own birk (judicial district). Here was probably a kongsgaard (king's castle) which Knud Lavard's  relative Erik Jarl ab. 1130 had as a vasalry. In 1253 Christoffer I gave hr. Gunzelin, count of Schwerin "all property in Haraldsted" as a vasalry. Ab. 1520 belonged H. or a parts of it under Skjoldenæs vasalry, and followed this later to Roskildegård, and came from here in 1585 to Ringsted kloster. In 1588 the village or parts of it burnt down. In 1621 the vasal of Ringsted vasalry, hr. Axel Urne was given royal command to give the priest in H. free timber for the rebuild of his burnt house. At the same time he was told to let rebuild and repair the church- barn, so the king could sleep there, when he passed the place. In 1622 the king's road between Antvorskov slot and H. is mentioned, and in 1626 the peasants in Roskilde vasalry had restraining order to make a road for the king between H. and Roskilde. There is undoubtedly a close connection between these king's roads and "Kongens Hus" in H.  Still in 1639 neither road or house seem to be provided for. This year Jørgen Seefeldt at Ringsted kloster was ordered to as soon as possible to build the house in H. , which the king had commanded. From Chr. IV's last years and from Frederik III's time are several reports that royal persons resided in H., but under Chr. V. the house was probably demolished and the materials were sold. A farm close south southwest of the church has still got the name "Kongsgården".

On the north side of the eastern part of Langesø (lake) south of the village Valsømagle was a main farm, where the castle bank still exists. It seems that it from the 1300s belonged to a family Dyre. In 1377 is mentioned a Peder Dywr of Hwalsoemagle, in 1396 Jep Pedersen Dyur. In 1451 is mentioned a Jens Diur and 1459-61 Aage Diur in V.magle. In 1459-63 is also mentioned væbner Peder Nielsen Bryske, who used the coat of arms of the family Iis; in 1488-96 is mentioned a modest man Niels Mortensen in V. magle, whose ancestors by the kings had got sealed letters of "some freedom", which letters king Hans confirmed in 1488. In 1496 deeded Niels Mortensen his farm to hr. Henrik Meinstrup, high court judge at Sjælland, (+ 1497), who gave the king 2 other farms for his rights in the farm. It is obvious to assume that it was this farm, which his daughter, fru Anne Meinstrup (after her marriage to Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz, + 1496.  She was called Anne Holgers) later owned and resided. She was in 1535 under grevefejden (civil war) killed by the peasants at the Sjælland Thing  in Ringsted, and her farm was destroyed by the rebels. After her the farm came probably to her daughter, Sofie Holgersdatter Rosenkrantz (+ 1558) who in 1551 or 52 after her husband hr. Axel Brahe's death gave her brother's children various estate and V. came probably to Erik Rosenkrantz of Arreskov (+ 1575), who in 1573 exchanged it with among others 17 farms in V.village to the king for Kærstrup (later Valdemars slot) at Tåsinge.  The farm was after the exchange equipped as a royal hunting farm with "fish parks" in the lake. In 1574 the king gave Eggert Ulfeldt at Roskildegård command to abolish the newly established royal hunting house in Høed, since one royal hunting house in this district was enough. Frederik II stayed in the following years often at V.gård, from where several royal letteres were issued. In 1585 the vasalry went to the king's "lone wolf ", Andreas von Stufenborg. In 1587 Andreas announced that the buildings were fallen into decay. Later the sources are silent about the farm. It was possibly replaced by the farm Nygård close by, which is mentioned in 1624, when the peasants in Valsømagle complained about that a field, which had earlier belonged to the village, was transferred to Nygård, without their taxes being reduced.  In 1627 high court judge Jakob Ulfeldt at Ringsted kloster had royal command to let the decayed buildings at Nygård break down and use the material for Ringsted kloster's corn barn.

At the north side of Haraldsted sø (lake ) south of Valsømagle village lies the enigmatic earthwork Ridebanen.  It consists of a 3 m high, half circular bank, closed towards the lake but open towards the land, where the two ends of the bank, with a distance of 50 m, join a hillside. A road leads down the hillside to the place inside the banks.

A little west of Ridebanen at the lakefront lies the wellkept castle bank Nygård, the old site of Valsøgård. It consists of a  four-sided bank, surrounded to the west by a moat, to the north, east and south by hollows, which originally might have been water-filled. In the southern hollow are two small rectangular ponds. Upon the castle bank are traces of a boulder foundation of two wings, an eastern and a northern. In the lakefront outside the castle bank are rests of pilework. Still rests of the road across the moat are seen. The farm was destroyed during the grevefejden (civil war) but was probably rebuilt.

Farthest out upon a small landtongue, which stretches from the east out to the low meadows at Gørlev sø, lies the wood-covered castle bank Gørrildsborg or Jarleborg; it consists of a rectangular bank (ab. 55 x 45 m). In connection to this a lesser front-terrain stretches to the northwest; this is hardly a part of the fortification, but only the farthest end of the ridge, in which the bank was cut out. The situation of the castle must probably be viewed in connection to the old "Kongevej" (king's road), which passed east of the bank and the river at Holtebro.

Upon a hill south of Skåninggård in Valsømagle were in 1938 found traces of a monk brick wall upon a boulder foundation. It is not known to where the wall work belongs. Some pieces of ceramic seem to date to the High Middle Ages.

Listed prehistorics: At Kastrupgård a long dolmen with 2 chambers; at Skee Tåstrup a very disorganized dolmen chamber. 6 hills, like the impressive Dronninghøj and Kernehøj, both west of H.
Demolished: A dolmen and 25 hills, mostly in the western part of the parish, Kongshøj west of H. was very impressive.

In Skee Mose (moor), was found a now disappeared settlement from the Maglemose culture. At Valsømagle was a rich and important sacrifice find from the beginning of Bronze Age with 5 axes, a sword, 4 spearheads, a dagger and a fish hook, it was found in two piles with about 80 m's distance. At H. a burial place from late Roman Iron Age.

Names from the Middle Ages :
Haraldsted (1231 Haraldstath, 1357 Konigsharaldstethe); Valsømagle (1321 Walsye Maklæ);  Skee (1256 Scethæ); Skee Tåstrup (ab. 1370 Thorstop); Allindelille (1257 Alunde paruum); Egtvedgård (ab. 1525 Egtuid); Kastrupgård (ab. 1525 Kastrvp). 

Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954.

photo 2004: grethe bachmann

Bjernede church / Bjernede kirke, Alsted herred, Sorø amt.

Bjernede church, 8 km northeast of Sorø

The church in Bjernede is the only fairly kept round church at Sjælland and the richest designed among the Danish round churches, but it has also a contemporary inscription upon two limestone tablets above the entrance door, saying that "Ebbe Skjalmsen and his wife Ragnhild built a church here, which his son Sune later raised in stone in honor of God, Sancta Maria and Sanct Laurentius." The death year of Ebbe, who was a son of Skjalm Hvide, is not known, and therefore neither the time of the building of the oldest church, which according to the inscription must have been a wooden church. The son Sune died in 1186, and before this must the present church have been built (maybe ab. 1170). As it stands now is it essentiaslly  a real re-creation of the Romanesque building, completed by H. Storck in 1890-92.

The church has an apse (rebuilt), a straight-edged choir and a circular nave in two storeyes, above which is a mid-tower, and to the south a Gothic porch. The Romanesque section has a double plinth  in carved granite; apse and choir are built in small granite ashlars of unequal size, the same goes for the bottom section of the nave, where the stones are curve-carved; details in travertine; in a height of 7,2 m above the plinth the material changes into small, often groove-carved monk bricks in irregular monk-bond; the change of material is without doubt due to the knowledge of the new building of the large brick-churches in the Sorø-Ringsted. The base and plinth of the apse were kept, the rest is a reconstruction like the barrel-vault of the choir, from which were traces on the wall of the nave; the north window of the nave is changed in the glade , the south window is new; an unusually high triumph arch  (5,6 m) with profiled bands and  flanked by two high side-altar niches. 

Contrary to custom has the nave only a south door; it is slim and round arched and was, like the four windows at the bottom of the nave before the restoration, made in travertine. (now re-newed). The nave has a diameter of 10-11 m, and  the wall is 1,5-1,7 m thick. In the middle stands - as a support of the tower - four heavy round pillars, at the bottom  in curve-carved ashlars like the outer wall, above in bricks and with trapeze capitals in travertine; between these and the wall are eight grat-vaults and between them a rib-vault.  Up to the upper church, which possibly was used in troubled times, is access by a staircase in the wall west of the door; in the middle of this room (only 3,6 m high) - which has six double windows (the west window was kept) and an open tagstol (earlier was probably a beamed ceiling) -  are four square monk brick pillars, upon which the tower rests; the crossing from the square room between these to the octagonal tower (upper storey re-newed) is done by tromper (shell-like curves across the corners) .

Font in Kalundborg church the same type as Bjernede

The nave was re-created, probably in the 1400s , its truncated cone-roof was changed into a pitched roof, a change which , caused by the circular shape, made the building look like a mitre; large sections of the wall of the upper church to the south and north were demolished, and to the east and west were pointed gables bricked in. About 1700 were the apse and the vault of the choir broken down and the choir extended to the east. 1861-1862 carried Chr. Hansen a necessary repair through, but it was in the later restoration - which was provoked by the contemporary interest in the Romanesque style - that the look of the building was robbed of its strong picturesque effect, created by the "mitre", and following this the stylish reconstruction seems a little trite; from later additions were only kept the porch and the big west window of the nave from the 1600s. Surrounding the church is a large medieval wall-hedge to the west, north and south. Bell-frame and burial chamber from 1892 at the church yard.

At Storck's restoration were found and repaired rests of simple frescoes in zigzag- and disc patterns and a large lily from the first building time. Communion table and decoration: a crucifix-group, from 1892. The earlier altarpiece in Renaissance, ab. 1600, with paintings, hangs in the nave. A bishop's figure origins from a late Catholic altarpiece. A strong, iron bound late Gothic monstrans house. Gothic altar candelabres. Romanesque fourleaf-clover shaped granite font in Kalundborgtype. A Gothic choir arch crucifix, 1450-1500, upon a contemporary cross. The pulpit ( one bay and the sounding board are in the National Museum) is in Renaissance, ab. 1600, with corner pillars and niches. A chandelier given by Didrik Severin Jelling. The earliest bell is from the 1300s, without inscription. Various epitaphs and grave stones.

Bjernedegård: Since Bjernede church is built by Ebbe Skjalmsen (Hvide) (+ ab. 1150), have members of the Hvide-family in the 1100s probably built and lived at Bjernedegård, which is known in written sources from the 1200s. From the oldest farm were north of the church found insignificant rests. B. went probably directly from the Hvide- family to the Roskilde bishop, who made it a vasalry. In 1287 the bishop calls Oluf Lunge "our bailiff in Bjernede and Fodby". The vasalry was possibly hereditary. In the 1300s it came to the family Moltke, possibly by marriage. 1370-83 is mentioned fru Helene (née Lunge?) of B., widow after Evert Moltke, and with her also the son Conrad (Cort) Moltke of B. 1377-88. From the Roskilde-bishop came B. in 1414 as a part of an exchange to Sorø kloster, whereafter it possibly was demolished and the land distributed among the other village-farms.   

From the 1650s is the origin of the present Bjernedegård traceable southwest of the church. In 1654 is mentioned birkefoged ( a judicial bailiff) in Sorø birk, Peder Selgensen in B. His son of the same name took over his father's job and the farm  in 1669, the farm was now called Birkefoged- or Birkedommergården.
In 1770 had the manager of Sorø Akademi's estate Caspar Peter Müller (grandfather of the poet Fr. Paludan-Müller) the farm in  livsfæste (= he had it for life). He had it moved to another place in 1771-72 and it was now called Stokholtegård.  As a part of a re-organization of the Academy-estate it was moved back in 1783 to the old place with its old name.  At the same time was the village Bjernede abandoned,
and B. was now a main farm with adjoining land of 75 hectare . In exchange for the village-abandonment were built 6 houses with land.

In 1809 was the farm transferred as a copyhold to manager Niels Peter Neergaard (+ 1821). Later was it sold to Joachim Kähler (+ 1884), who in 1876 sold it to sculptor Gundo Seiersfred Vogt (+ 1939),  later of Selchausdal. He sold in 1886 B. to Christian Madsen, who in 1904 sold it to lawyer Niels Søren Svendsen, Ringsted. He sold it in 1924 to the county Lerchenborg, who used the land for outparcelling. The main building was in 1944 sold to proprietary B.W.Andersen. Owner in 1954 was Axel Madelung.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Bjernede (ab. 1370 Byernwithæ); Fulby (1414 Fulby) ; St. Ebberup ( 1414 Ebbethorp); Bjernedegård (1287 Byærnøftæ).


Listed prehistorics: In St. Ebberup the round dolmen Blankedys, 3 long dolmens and the dolmen chamber Bregnebjerg, with a cover stone. North of Fulby 2 round dolmens, one with a cover stone.
Demolished or destroyed: one round dolmen, 2 long dolmens, 13 undefinable dolmens and other stone graves, 3 hills, mostly at St. Ebberup and Fulby fields.

 - In a moor by B. was found a prettily decorated antler-axe from early Stone Age.

     
 Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954.

photo 2004: grethe bachmann

Fjenneslev church / Fjenneslev kirke, Alsted herred, Sorø amt.

 

Fjenneslev church, ab. 8 km east of Sorø

The church in Fjenneslev has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave. Above the west end of the nave were later, but still in Romanesque period, built two twin towers. The church in Fjenneslev is among our most interesting village churches. According to a reliable tradition was it built as a farm-church by Skjalm Hvide's son Asser Rig, who lived in Fjenneslev like his father. (Skjalm Hvide and his son Toke were buried in the church, but later moved to Sorø church). The wellknown legend that Asser's wife fru Inge built the towers, when she gave birth to the sons Absalon and Esbern Snare, while her husband was with the army in Sweden is not historic, partly because the two sons were not twins, partly because the bricks used for the towers were not used in Denmark as early as in the 1120s. Fru Inge might have built the towers, but earliest when Asser died, and it is more probable that they were built toward 1200.

The small original building with very high walls (nave 6,85 m) is built in small, raw, cleaved boulders with ashlars in granite and Fakse-limestone. The apse-window  is outside in the shape of a fourleaf clover , the two windows of the choir and the four east windows of the nave are original, but extended in the glade; a window in the north wall was blinded, when the towers were built, and the round arched door in recent times; the straight edged south door was remade.  The half cupolar vault of the apse and the choir arch are untouched.

The south, west and north wall of the tower-section rest upon the walls of the nave, its east wall upon three arcades, supported by two pretty granite pillars with polished shanks, palmette-decorated bases (similar the font in Kalundborg church) and cube capitals. Two groin vaults cover the two soutern bays of the tower room, and through the northernest leads a re-newed walled staircase to the second storey, which probably in the beginning was a gallery; it opens toward the nave in three arcades, each "square"-divided with three glazed, burnt-clay pillars with leaf ornament upon the capitals (familiar to a younger south portal in Sorø); only the northernest bay was kept until the restore. After a crash of the south tower were the two towers combined in 1561, and when the southern part of this tower crashed, probably in 1657, was a new tower built, which southeast corner rested upon the southern of two pillars, concluding parts of the old north tower.












The church stands now with a flat ceiling in choir and nave and a pyramid spire on the towers. It is completely marked by restorations from 1872-74 and 1898. In the first restoration were removed three cross vaults, which in the late Gothic period had been built in choir and nave, and which almost hid the pretty tower-gallery, the Romanesque windows were re-opened, the south tower re-built and like the lower equipped with south and north gables; furthermore was a medieval porch in front of the south door replaced by the present porch. In the last restoration achieved the two towers their present look with pyramid-spires, they were shaped according to the church-model on the frescoe founder-picture, which was found on the triumph wall (and like the related church in Tveje-Merløse). A chapel to the north, probably a grave-chapel for the farm Mørup in the 1500-1600s, disappeared latest in 1808.

From the valuable frescoes from 1150-1200 (restore 1947) are - besides rests above the vaults - only kept some on underside of the choir arch , two bishops, and on the west side of the triumph wall, the kings' worship from a Byzantine diagram, and under this the legendary picture of the founders of the church: the lord of the manor handing the church model up to God and his wife offering a ring behind him. It is uncertain if the figures depict Asser Rig and fru Inge or Asser's father Skjalm Hvide and wife, but it is probably the first mentioned, since the church frescoe shows the two latest built towers.

The communion table is probably the original table with an original cover plate in black-polished marble. The altar decotration is a late Gothic crucifix, ab. 1525, from Claus Berg's workshop and probably coming from Brahetrolleborg church, where the original cross is still kept. Chalice from ab. 1550 by the Køge-goldsmith Anders. Romanesque granite font in Roskilde-type. Baptismal brass bowl, given in 1779 by Joh. Henrik greve Knuth. Early Gothic choir arch crucifix 1250-75 on a contemporary cross. The simple pulpit with fluted corner-pillars in Renaissance from ab. 1590 was earlier placed as a "lektoriestol" in front of the choir arch. Bells: 1) 1589 cast by Matthias Benninck, 2) from 1614.

lektoriestol =   like a gallery.
In the church yard is a runestone. It was found in 1830, when the old dike was demolished, and it was raised in 1910. The stone is ab. 1,70 m long. The inscription is: "Sasser rejste stenen og gjorde broen". ("Sasser raised the stone and made the bridge"). In Slaglille parish is a bridge across Tuelå (river) south of Fjenneslev, called Sasserbro, probably built once by the Sasser, who's mentioned on the stone.


 Mørup manors history can be traced back to the 1500s. When Pont. Atlas III p. 78 and VI p. 321 mentions Hack Nielsen (or Hack Hacksen) and Christen Mikkelsen (+ 1609), who both are buried in the church, as owners of Mørup,  then this is hardly true. It appears from a royal letter from 1584 that Mørup at that time belonged to Sorø kloster and thus to the Crown. Reinholt Berckhus (+ 1585) earlier bailiff in Sorø kloster, was endowed with M., probably like some form of pension. He was succeeded by the king's stoker, above mentioned Christen Mikkelsen (m.to Reinholts widow), who had M. as a copyhold, not as owned. Hack Nielsen was probably in a similar position. A missive from 1633 says that M. was always ordained as the king's hunting farm, and that the king's servants were especially endowed with it. After Christen Mikkelsen succeeded in 1609-23 Magnus Lakaj, 1623-34 Hans Sørensen and then the king's saddle boy Rasmus Ibsen. Daniel Denov, Christian IV's livknægt( king's personal servant), who in 1644 had a letter for life on M., was probably only a copyhold farmer like the previous. He died 1666, and the life-letter was given to his second wife who still lived in 1672. The same years deeded the king M. to Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve ( + 1704), who sold it in 1678 to Frederik Gabel (+ 1708), who 1686 sold it to Niels Christoffersen  (+ 1691), from whose heirs (the son Christopher Ørnfelt Nielsen in Copenhagen and the sons-in-law, vicar of Svallerup, Jacob Fribert and manager at Sorø farm Johan Lange) it in 1695 was sold to major Frantz Christian Bonorden. He sold it on already in 1698 to Johan Haxen (+ 1704), whose widow married Niels Fogh (lived still 1710). This year was M. sold at public auction to Mads Nielsen Lind in Holbæk, who in 1711 sold it on to Otto Korff, who in 1716 sold it together with Fjenneslev church to colonel Christian Luxdorph (+ 1726). His widow Susanne Magdalene Worm left at her death in 1735 M. to her son, Bolle Willum Luxdorph (+ 1788) under whom the farm burnt down in 1743. He sold it in 1748 to Laurs Biørn, who in 1755 after having bought Gundetved (later Selchausdal) the same year sold M. to Holger Skeel (+ 1764) whose widow Regitze Sophie, née baroness Güldencrone (+ 1779) in 1772 sold M. to Eggert Christoffer greve Knuth (+ 1776),  who had it established as an entailed estate. After him it went to his son Johan Henrik greve Knuth (+ 1802), At his death went M. and the greve-title to a younger halfbrother Frederik Knuth  (+ 1818) Iin 1803 was the fideikommissariske band abandoned and M. was sold to Iver Amnitzböll (+ 1816), whose widow Dorothea Elisabeth in 1817 married Peter Diderik Ibsen (later parish priest in Kgs. Lyngby, + 1855). In 1825 was M. with farm estate sold at auction to Sorø akademi.

North of Fjenneslev church, in the northwestern corner of the church yard, were found rests of buildings, which assumedly belonged to Skjalm Hvide's farm. On this place was the largest farm in the village until the end of the 1700s, when it burnt down. After this it was relocated. The site was examined in 1826, and walls were found of a cellar room ab. 6 x 6 meter in a height of ab. 1,5 m. The material was small boulders and flint in a mortar of chalk  - only the inner of the room was in large boulders. In the western wall were two door-openings with rests of limestone-frames. The southern led up to a staircase ( it was supposedly made on the occassion of Frederik VI's visit), the northern to a smaller cellar room. The floor was in little stones         
doused in mortar. Furthermore were found rests of a strange gutter, made in burnt brick. According to the technique of the walls is the wall work contemporary to the church, but it seems too frail to have carried a stone building. Based on the examinations is it impossible to say something definitive about the age and character of the original farm-plan. Possibly are the out-digged rests only part of a large and not fortificated farm, which seems to hide under the road and west of this. The cellars have all been covered, and on the place is a small  park, where a memorial stone was raised for Asser Rig in 1903.

Names in the Middle Ages:
Kirke Fjenneslev (1201 Fialensleve, 1343 Fiænesløfflitle, ab. 1370 Fyælenzlef); Fjenneslevmagle (1347 Fiænesleffmagle); Mørup ( 1205 Møthorp).

Listed prehistorics: North of the church is Fjenneslev Bavnehøj with a passage grave, where the cover stone is missing. South of the village is a hill Stejlebanke.

Demolished or destroyed: 3 dolmens or undecided stone graves, 2 hills.

In Fjenneslev parish was born in ab. 1127 Esbern Snare, in ab. 1128 Absalon.

Source: Trap Danmark, Sorø amt, 1954. 
photo 2004: grethe bachmann

As church / As kirke and Palsgård, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

The whitewashed, tiled church, which lies upon a hillside close to the waters of Kattegat, has a Romanesque  choir and nave, radically rebuilt ab. 1300, a late Gothic western addition, a west tower and a porch to the south.  The original parts of the building are in rough granite stone with corner ashlars and without a visible plinth. Only small details are visible from the original walls, like in the bottom of the south side of the choir, a part of the east side of the choir and the north side of the nave, where the bricked up door  is traceable and two round arched windows are bricked up. In ab. 1300 was a large part of the walls renewed or even face walled with red monk bricks.  In the middle of the 1400s was in the choir built one and in the nave three cross vaults in East Jutland type upon protruding piers, and the choir arch was remade; later was the nave extended to the west with an eight ribbed cross vault, and in the latest decades of the Middle Ages were added a narrow tower and a cross vaulted porch. The look of the building is highly marked by a restoration in the end of the 1700s. The building was restored in 1904 and in 1959.                               

As church vicarage

In 1904 were found fragmentaric frescoes from 1515, among others an illustration of the fable about the fox and the stork, and the coat of arms of bishop Jens Iversen Lange. The inventory is mostly from 1904-05, since most of the old inventory was removed - some of it is in Horsens Museum. The new inventory is in a flashy, neo Gothic style , made in polished oak and designed by Hector Estrup. The altar piece is a crucifixion-painting, a copy from a Spanish baroque-painter. Chalice from 1758 with the coat of arms of Bille and Arenfeldt. Small, late Gothic candelabres. A small crucifix from the middle of the 1600s. The font, the pulpit, the pews and the manor-stools are all from 1904-05. The old pulpit was a good Rococo work by Jens Jensen, while the altar piece and a gallery were made by Jens Hiernøe. A new model of curch ship, a five master bark. A bell from 1510, cast by Johannes Pauli.

Palsgård is said to belong to hr. Jacob Kalf in the 1400s; his son Axel Knob (Kalf) let build a house in 1412 according to an inscription stone, which still existed in 1806. Its later owner-history is very complicated, caused by several  inherited services. Hr. Ludvig Nielsen (Rosenkrantz) is written to P. in 1461 and 1482; his sons Niels and Claus and more than 10 grandchildren from the families Skeel, Gyldenstierne, Juel and Munk (Lange-Munk) owned parts in the estate, while other parts belonged to members of the families Galt, Munk (Vinranke-Munk), Pax and more.  A descendant of hr. Ludvig Nielsen was Ingeborg Arenfeldt ( + 1658), whose husband Ernst Normand of Selsø (+ 1645) collected the estate. The daughter Kirsten Normand brought in 1658 P. to her husband Joachim Fr. Pentz of Åstrup, who became ruined during the Swedish wars, whereafter the kansler Peter Reedtz in 1665 became the owner. After his death in 1674 was P. inherited by his son Holger Reedtz (+ 1707), his widow baroness Berte Christine Juel (+ 1732) and son Niels Juel Reedtz (+ 1742), his widow Mette Johanne Arenfeldt (+ 1762, who was m. second time to Henrik Bille of Holbækgård) and son Holger Reedtz (+ 1803), who in 1795 sold P. to his son Niels Juel Reedtz (+ 1830). From him  came P. to his son Holger Chr. Reedtz (+ 1857), who established an observatorie at the farm. His heirs sold in 1877 P. to prins Emil R.O. Schoenaich-Carolath. He sold it 1898 to baron Frederik (Fritz) Wedel-Jarlsberg, whose widow fru Elisabeth Schou (later married Falbe-Hansen) owned it until her death in 1952; the heirs Herbert Schou and fru Gertrud Andersen let it be transferred to a family-company Schou-Palsgård.  












The white main-building is placed upon a square castle bank above  steep dry moats. The water from As Vig reached close to the farm in the end of the 1900s. The three-winged building is listed in class B.

The farm buildings are built in various periods, they are partly half timbered and partly in boulder. In connection to these were built the factory Credin.

The park is one of the largest in the country and one of the best well-kept. Foreign secretary Holger Reedtz was an avid botanist and introduced many rare trees and growths, and baron Wedel-Jarlsberg laid out large areas for lawns and created a grand entrance from the west.

Foreign secretary Holger Reedtz established in 1843-44 an astronimical observatorie in a small building in front of the main bulding,  and he built in 1853 a costy equipped observatorie in boulder. The observatorie has later been rebuilt into a temple-like pavillon with  fluted columns.

A memorial obelisk was raised for the family Reedtz in 1866.    

Northeast of Palsgård at the beach is a medieval castle bank with two banks, of which the eastern is the smallest, a square bank ,while the western is larger and rectangular . Both banks were once surrounded by water. The western bank is connected with land on the south side. A damn prevents the water from streaming out into the beach. The moats are kept water-filled from the higher placed fields. Upon the banks have been found monk bricks with traces of fire and lumps of melted iron. It seems that the buildings were destroyed by fire.  

Listed prehistorics: At Ringstholm a circular dolmen with a square chamber with a large cover stone, and a hill close to the church.
Destroyed or demolished: two hills, Ashøj which Pont. Atlas mentions as grave hill of king As, is a natural grovel hill. 

From Ringstholm is known a shell heap from early Stone Age. From the farm Holgershåb is known an important settlement from early Roman Iron Age.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964. 


photo 2004 and 2011.grethe bachmann (addition of photos from 2004 in November 2012)

Daugård church / Daugård kirke and Williamsborg, Hatting herred, Vejle amt.

Daugård church, Hatting herred, Vejle amt
10 km northeast of Vejle
 
The large white-washed church in Daugård has a Romanesque choir and nave with late Gothic additions: a tower to the west and a porch to the south. The Romanesque building is in travertine upon a vaguely marked plinth. The choir and nave have partly kept their original wall-decorations with lisens and round arch friezes in two storeyes and with narrow lisen-bands around the bricked-up windows. The round arched south door is in use, while the north door is almost gone. The choir arch seems expanded in the late Gothic period and like the eastern part of the choir rebuilt in monk bricks; the gable has lisens, which continue in the gable-triangle with round arches, a  Romanesque mark, which is also found in Engum church and several other buildings in East Jutland. In the choir was built a cross-vault with ribs, in the nave three cross vaults upon protruding wall-pillars. From the same period is the west tower, which cross-vaulted bottom room opens in full broadth towards the nave in a pointed arch. The smooth gables are rebuilt, probably in a thorough repair in 1792. The late Gothic porch has a stepped gable with seven roundarched high-glares and small cross-glares.

house in Daugård

Upon the north wall of the choir were in 1956 found fragmentaric Romanesuq frescoes from ab. 1200. They were cleansed in 1960. At the choir arch are vine-frescoes from the Reformation-period.  The altar piece is a typical work by Jens Hiernøe from ab. 1800 with corintich pillars, vases and symbols. In the big field a painting from the late 1800s, a copy of Carl Bloch's Gethsemane. Chalice from 1692. Late Gothic ore candelabres. A fine Romanesque font with lions with characteristic manes, reflecting ornaments from the Viking period and connecting it to fonts in Ejstrup and Nr. Snede church. A south German bowl from ab. 1575. A pulpit in simple Renaissance from ab. 1610 with Tuscany corner pillars, repaired in 1939. A sounding board in acanthus Baroque from the 1700s. A new model of a five-master bark. Bell by Gamst from 1815. In the north wall of the choir a Romanesque granite grave stone  with majuskel inscription: ACERUS CAPELAN JACET HIC.

Williamsborg

old railway bridge, Tirsbæk

Bryskesborg (1664 Bryschisborig)was founded from some desolate farms by Lisbeth Bryske of Tirsbæk (+ 1673), in 1661 it was desolate and broken down, and in 1684 gave Steen Bille it to Rasmus Nielsen, absolutely free for the rest of his life,  if he in return would build the outbuildings, while Steen Bille built a farmhouse. The estate had joint owner with Tirsbæk, until Jørgen Hvass de Lindenplalm in 1774 endowed it to his son-in-law William Halling, later of Dronninglund, who in 1775 had royal grant to call it Williamsborg. He sold it to Chr.Kallager, who in 1784 endowed it to Joh. Fr.v.Schmidten (+ 1830). After having sold most of the farm estate Williamsborg was endowed with Daugård parish's  royal- and church-taxes and estate in 1810 to Jeremias Müller Secher,  who in 1824 endowed it to Niels Emanuel de Thygeson of Bygholm. Then W. came in 1827 to Carl Gustav Lillienskjold (+ 1830 ), whose heirs in 1837 sold it to Carl Henrik Martini ( + 1860), whose widow Margrethe Frederikke Bevensee owned it until her death in 1890, after which the heirs sold it to A.P. Frederiksen of Elkærholm. After his death in 1901 the heirs sold W. in 1902 to baron Hans Rudolph Gustav Wedell-Wedellsborg (+ 1954), whose widow in 1961 sold it to S.E.J. Broholm, Broholmgård, Fyn.

The original Bryskesborg is unknown, after the Swedish wars was it demolished. In 1774-75 built William Halling the present main wing. The side wings are probably newer. The building is listed in class B. The large three-winged ladegård (farm buildings) was rebuilt after a fire in 1912.  

house, Tirsbæk

Daugård belonged in 1719 to Joh. Ludvig v. Müllen (+ 1750), then to his son Jakob v. Müllen (+ 1779), after whom it was bought by his son Joh. Ludvig v Müllen (+ 1808). It belonged later to his widow, Catherine Dorthea Utzon (+ 1829),  and in 1829 it was endowed by Niels Emanuel de Thygeson of  Bygholm to J.P With. In 1850 it belonged to Th. Ernst and was in 1858 at an auction of his bankruptcy sold to P.Bay (+ 1865) Rudkøbing, whose son-in-law Vilh.Chr. Barner (+ 1902)  in 1866 sold it to J.B. Krarup (+ 1898), who moved his agricultural school from Skårupgård to Daugård. The school was abandoned in 1874, and the farm was sold the same year to F.A. Søltoft of Lerbæk (+1883), whose heirs sold it to Frantz Jørgen Ahlman (+ 1915), whose son-in-law Chr. E. G. Lunding took it over in 1916 and sold it in 1928 to H. Ude Hansen, whose son Niels Ude-Hansen was the owner in 1964.

Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Daugård (1399 Daghægord, 1446 Dawgord); Askebjerg (1664 Aesbierre).
 
Listed prehistorics: a long dolmen, where the cover stone has many hollows, a passage grave with a hexagonal chamber of 7 supporting stones, but no cover stone.
Demolished or destroyed: 2 long dolmens, 2 passage graves and 7 other stone graves. 27 hills, mostly to the west and south of the parish. In a passage grave at Skovlys' land were found 3 flint axes and 2 flint daggers.
 

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964.  

photo Daugård & Williamsborg 2008: grethe bachmann

Sdr. Stenderup church / Sdr. Stenderup kirke, Nørre Tyrstrup herred, Vejle amttland, Vejle amt.

Sønder Stenderup parish with many castle banks and small manors. 

Sdr. Stenderup Church, Nørre Tyrstrup herred, Vejle amt.

The large church in Sønder Stenderup has a Romanesque apse, choir and nave with a late Gothic western tower and a porch west of the tower, probably from 1869. The Romanesque building is in granite ashlars upon a faintly marked, double plinth. The northside is almost untouched, where the nave has three, the choir two round arched windows. The other walls are very re-built, especially in a thorough repair in 1869, when the apse was rebuilt and the roof of the choir lifted in the same height as the nave. The apse has inside a late Gothic rib vault, while choir and nave have flat plaster-ceilings with stucco-decorations from 1869. The choir arch was removed. The late Gothic tower has a cross-vaulted bottom room with a pointed tower arch and a pyramid spire. The other parts of the tower are on the southside rebuilt in 1806 with iron anchers and initials of Chr. VII and C.W. von Ahlefeldt etc.

The altar piece is a joinery , probably from 1869, with a painting. Some apostel figures and a small crucifix, which is a fine carving from ab. 1500, all from an abandoned altar piece are kept in the church. The figures of the crucified robbers are in the museum at Koldinghus, while some other figures of Mary, Sct. Antonius and two bishop-saints are at the National Museum. The chalice is from ab. 1850, probably given by parish priest Johannes Petersen. Three pairs of altar candelabres: 1) very heavy early Renaissance ab. 1575 2) 1794, given by Jess Hansen Beck; 3) from 1886. Besides a fine early Gothic choir arch crucifix from ab. 1300 or a little earlier. A couple of side figures from ab. 1400 are in the museum at Koldinghus. A Romanesque granite font, smooth basin upon a circular foot with archades. A smooth copper bowl from the 1700s. A pulpit in neo-Renaissance, probably from 1869. A simple Renaissance-pulpit from 1618 is in the museum at Koldinghus. By the western and northern walls are galleries. Some plaster-reliefs by Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen, pre-works of the kathoveddør (cat's head door) in Ribe Cathedral, were given to the church in 1922 by the artist and placed on the walls.  Bells: 1) 1886, by P.P. Meilstrup, re-cast from a bell from 1793 by Gamst; 2) 1901, by L. Andersen, Aarhus from a bell from 1701, Claus Rasmussen, Husum.  

Sdr. Stenderup, view from church yard.

in church yard

Many small manors in the parish:
Catrinebjerg , built 1923, threewinged, red bricks, whitewashed details. Owners: Jes Sørensen ( + 1818), Paul Tonnesen, 1883 Peter Chr. Juel Bogh, 1909 N.P. Stenderup, 1940 J.J. Bech.

Tygesminde, built 1873, red walls with decorative details. Owners: 1855 P.J. Brodersen, 1899 baron Preben Charles Bille-Brahe-Selby, 1908 Nis Schrøder-Jørgensen, 1938 H.C. Buhl, 1944 C.Vestergaard Frandsen, 1949 H.K.Madsen, 1950 captain L.K. Pay, 1957 count W. Schulin-Zeuthen.

Lykkesgård, built 1858-62, yellow Flensborg-bricks in carved granite ashlars with several decorative details. Facade painted white with grey details, other walls are yellow and blank. Owners: 1697 Jes Madsen, 1720 Anker Hansen, 1743 the son Hans Andersen, 1762 Jes Mikkelsen, 1800 Jes Thygesen, 1838 the son Jes Thygesen, 1886 his son cand. jur. Jes Thygesen (+ 1910) , 1912 O.L. Juhl, 1959 his son H.C. Juhl.

Lauridsminde, bilt ab. 1860, bricked, whitewashed. Owners: Laurids Poulsen, 1803 his son-in-law Hans Johansen, 1825 his son Laurids Hansen, 1857 his son Christian Christoffersen Bramsen, 1885 his son Laurids Hansen Bramsen and 1924 his son Christian Bramsen, 1948 the sons L. and A.C. Bramsen.

Juelsminde, built 1883, red bricks, one floor above high cellar. Owners: from 1723 the family Juhl, 1875 Claus Jensen Juel  (+ 1891), 1910 the son J.P.Juel, 1939 the son-in-law K.K.Back (+ 1940), 1940 his widow fru I.Back.

Fensbjerggård built 1864-66, large yellow washed at the edge of  Nørreskov. Owners: Jep Lauesen Beck, 1894 the son Christian Lauesen Frost , 1937 H. Andreasen (+ 1946), 1946 the son K.E.Andreasen.   

Varmarkgård built ab. 1800, large, whitewashed. Owners: 1818 Jep Pagh, 1839 Frederik Petersen, 1893 the son Anker Petersen, 1912 H.C.Juhl, 1913 R.P.Juhl, 1924 konsul A.C. Gjørding, 1928 graduate in agriculture K.W. Framming, 1941 J.O. Juhl (+ 1948), 1948 his daughter L. Juhl.

Stenderup Vargård (1564 Vargaard) belonged to Hartvig Smalsted ( ab. 1482) and the son Timme Smalsted, whose sister Helvig was m. to Anders Ebbesen (Ulfeld) (+ 1523). The farm came to their son Jost Andersen (Ulfeld) (+ 1563), whose son-in-law Mads Eriksen Vasspyd 1585 exchanged the farm to the Crown. 

Jens Pedersen of Stenderup is mentioned in1315. Birkefoged (bailiff) Jens Hugger owned in 1519 some land in S. and was in 1523 given Stenderupgaard by Frederik II. In1787 S. belonged to C.L.Zoega (+ 1829),  then to his widow Christiane Sophie Erichsen, from 1832 to J.C.Thygesen, then to his son P. Thygesen (+ 1888), and from 1894 to his son J.C. Thygesen, who 1913 sold it to P Juhl. In 1918 S. was sold by Ravn to Hansen, but P. Juhl bought it again. In 1922 it was sold to H. Wilckens, whose son G.P. Wilckens took it over in 1953. - The white washed main building was built 1807 by C.L. Zoega.

The closely built together Stenderup village burnt down in a violent fire 27 June 1807, which started at Stenderupgård; after this moved many large farms out and were rebuilt in their fields.

Skinkelsborg birk (judicial district). In 1407 bought queen Margrethe Skinkelsborg (1407 Skinkelsborgh, Skinkelborgh) from Claus Limbek. The farm had earlier been owned by Henneke Skinkel. 11. June 1442 was Eggert Frille endowed with Skinkelsborg vasalry. Still in the 1500s was the area a special vasalry, to which in 1542/1543 belonged some estate in Sdr. Stenderup, Agtrup, Sdr. Bjert, Binderup, Skartved, Strårup and Rebæk. In 1518 was the area a special birk (judicial district).

Many castle banks in the parish: 
In the moor ab. 650 m west-south-west of Lykkesgaard lies the (earlier large) medieval castle bank Skinkelsborg, which has been ploughed for many years. It has gradually been levelled. It is an irregular,  square castle bank ( ab. 58 x 53 m and earlier ab. 4 m high). To the north divided by a narrow moat is a lower bank , ab. 38 x 25 m, up to 2 m high. To the west is a border of meadows, while the other sides are surrounded by an up to 10 m broad moat, and outside by an up to 12 m broad damn. Outside this is the swampy moor, except to the northeast, where a 7 m broad, outer moat cuts off the plan by a natural rise in the meadow. Here are found rests of bricks.

The castle bank Borgsted Bakke (upon Griese's map from 1718-17 named Stensborg) lies by the coast ab. 700 m southeast of Rønshoved. It is a rounded-off castle bank, diameter ab. 25 m, placed outermost on the cliff towards the beach, a dry pit surrounds it on the landside and continues down to the beach protecting it on both sides with a steep natural slope. In the northern part of the bank was according to tradition  a place for canons in 1864.

By the beach, ab. 350 m north of Skovridergaarden lies another castle bank, placed in a natural edge of land stretching out towards the coast. The almost rectangular castle bank is to one side protected by a natural slope down to the beach, while a 3 m deep dry moat is laid out to the other sides. The top area of the bank is a little hollow and has some strange circular forward corners towards the landside.

In the northeastern outskirt of Sønderskov, about 200 m southwest of Dorthealund, lies the castle bank Husvold. A landtongue, which once stretched to the east out into the almost dry beach meadow, has been isolated from the higher placed land to the west by a large, originally water-filled L-shaped moat. This created  an almost triangular castle area (diameter ab. 60 x 70 m). The out-digged earth from the moat has been put up as banks on both sides of this castle area. The plan almost gives the impression of a prehistoric bygdeborg. ( a castle for a settlement).

From Stenderup Hage went the Swedish troops 30 January1658 across the ice over Lillebælt to Fønsskov.
Stenderup village burnt down in 1591. In Sdr. Stenderup burnt on 27. June 1807 21 farms and 36 houses and the vicarage. By the vicarage was a sacred well, Stenkilde.  


Names in the Middle Ages and the 1600s:
Sdr. Stenderup (1304 Stenthorp); Gammel Ålbo (1649 Gammelahlbode).

Listed prehistorics: 4 long dolmens, a dolmen chamber and 34 hills, mostly placed in the statsskovene (forests belonging to the State), the largest is a two-chambered long dolmen with a cover-stone near Skovridergaarden. Two large hills lie in the forest close to Fensbjerghus and in the garden of Kongens Hørgård.
Demolished or destroyed: a long dolmen, a round dolmen, 2 long hills and 70 hills.

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt. 1964.

photo 11 August 2009: grethe bachmann

Uth church / Uth kirke and Boller, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt.

Uth church, Bjerre herred, Vejle amt, ab. 5 km south of Horsens

The large church, which has replaced a granite ashlar building from  Roman time, is mostly built 1575-77, but this uniqe Renaissance building was in 1869 recreated into a neo-Romanesque basilika -a very regretful loss.

The Renaissance church from 1575-77 , built by fru Karen Gyldenstierne after her husband's death, was shaped as a three-naved, rectangular, longhouse with round-arched vaults in the mid-nave and point arched in the side-naves, all under one roof. Here was a western tower and a burial chapel to the south.  In 1869 was this building reshaped into a three-naved neo-Romanesque basilika with beamed ceiling in the mid-nave and grat-vaults in the side-naves. The walls of the mid-nave were enheightened and had double round-arched windows, in the eastern gable a high-placed circular window.

The tower had a high pyramid roof, and the main entrance was placed at its west-side. Above the portal is a granite thympanum with the image of a tree of life. It probably origins from the Romanesque granite ashlar church.  The chapel has kept the character of the Renaissance building. Upon the eastern gable of the nave are the initials of  Karen Gyldenstierne and upon the tower the initials of Erh. Wedel-Friis and wife and the year 1773.

The altar piece is a Lutheran triptychon in early Renaissance; it was given in 1577 by Karen Gyldenstierne and repaired in 1724 by count Reventlow. The large ore candelabres from 1594 have the coat of arms and initials of Otto Christoffer Rosenkrantz and Gisele Podebusk. A pretty Romanesque granite font of Horsens-type with lions and palmettes.Baptismal bowl of Netherland -type from 1622. Pulpit from 1793, a simple work in provinciel Baroque. Bell 1868 by Stallknecht, Horsens.

Old house in Uth

The chapel is divided from the church by an iron grating. In the wall is a strange epitaph with horisontal stones for Holger Ottosen Rosenkrantz of Boller and Rosenvold, vasal at Skanderborg and Bygholm (+ 1575), Mette Krognos (+ 1568) and Karen Gyldenstierne. Next to the warrior between two wives are the figures of two small girls, Margrete and Ellen. Upon the wall a painted oil portrait from 1578 of Holger Rosenkrantz and Karen Gyldenstierne with 4 children. Furthermore a marble sarcophagus with the bodies of Jens Kraeg-Juel-Vind of Juellinge (+ 1776), his wife Cathrine, née Gram (+ 1810) and Cathrine W. Juel, née Wedell-Jarlsberg, (+ 1786) In the tower room a gravestone for jomfru Margrete, Holger Rosenkrantz' daughter ( + 1551), a trapeze-shaped stone with 2 coat of arms. Also for Jens Nielsen, Boller Mill ( + 1698) and wife. A gravestone for Otto Holgersen Rosenkrantz (+ 1525) was originally in Lübeck, but was moved to Uth and finally to Hornslet church, Randers amt. In the choir a memory-tablet for officers from the battle at Heide in Ditmarsken 13 June 1559 and a frescoe-painted coat of arms for Holger Rosenkrantz and Karen Gyldenstierne and year 1575. In the church are buried rigsråd Holger Rosenkrantz (+1575) and the nobleman Otte Christofffer Rosenkrantz (+ 1621).

Boller (Castle) belonged 1350 to Otte Limbek, later to hr. Mogens Munk (Bjælke-Munk), after whose death in 1410 queen Margrethe was accused of having taken his possessions in Bygholm and Boller; in 1435 was delclaired that the queen had given his brother hr. Stig Munk back a large part. B. belonged in 1461 to Mogens Munk's daughter Anne Munk (+ ab. 1462), married to rigsråd hr. Henrik Knudsen Gyldenstierne ( + 1456), whose son-in-law hr. Erik OttesenRosenkrantz ( + 1503) from before 1483 owned the farm. (1477 was væbner Jes Ulf bailiff at B). Already in 1494 he laid out the farm as heritage  to his son Holger Eriksen Rosenkrantz, and after his death in 1496 to his children in 1499. Among these died  Holger Rosenkrantz childless in 1534, while hr. Otte Rosenkrantz (+ 1525) left several children, who in 1542 outbought their father's brother-in-law hr. Christian Friis (of Haraldskær),of Krastrup and hr. Axel Brahe of Kragholm. Rigsmarsk hr. Holger Rosenkrantz (+ 1575) became the sole owner, and he and his widow Karen Gyldenstierne (+ 1613) rounded off the estate by exchanges with the Crown. In 1592 was B. taken over by the son Otte Christoffer Rosenkrantz run into a large debt, why the heirs soon after his death in 1621 sold B. and Rosenvold to fru Ellen Marsvin.

Chr. IV had possibly lent her the money, since he in 1630 could force her to give the farm to her daughter, the king's wife Kirstine Munk, who fell into disfavour and was allowed to live at B. in the future, almost as a prisoner.After her death in 1658 at B. the heirs had to give up the farm because of some debt to Mogens Friis of Favrskov, who in 1672 established the county Frijsenborg. B. followed this county as an "allodial" estate until 1844. The county was abandoned in 1920, and at the death of lensgreve, Mogens Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs in 1923 was B. inherited by the daughter, komtesse Agnes Louise Krag-Juel-Vind-Frijs, married to lensgreve Erik Bernstorff Gyldensteen of Gyldensteen. She sold the estate in 1930, which was Boller, Christiansminde and later lesser tenant-farms and 1384 ha forest to the State. Main building and park were sold to the sick-benefit associations in Skanderborg, Horsens and Kolding, and they established B. as a resting home. 

By the moat

The main building lies upon a large rectangular castle bank upon a flat coast- plain towards Horsens fjord. It is surrounded by waterfilled moats. The plan, which is mostly from the 1500s, is strongly marked by rebuild and reduction and has lost all its outer splendour ; it is now dressed in a simple suit from the 1700s. The northern house of the 4 houses is the oldest, undoubtedly built by Holger Rosenkrantz shortly after he came to stay at Boller in 1548. In 1551 he became the sole owner.In the middle of the bottom floor is preserved a magnificent overvaulted hall with cross-rib vaults upon pillars of early medieval origin, probably from a demolished church. Upon the facade of the east wing is a very pretty sandstone tablet with the coat of arms of Rosenkrantz-Gyldenstierne. Upon the wall in the yard-area is placed an early medieval gravestone for Peder Gødesen Pot. In 1759 and some years ahead let lensgreve Chr. Friis the whole plan have a thorough rebuild and modernizing. The inside was splendidly furnished, and in 1769 was a memorial tablet therefore inserted above the south-wing's main portal by lensgreve Erh. Wedel-Friis. The main buiklding is listed in class A.

The old oak

In the rose garden

In the large park are many old trees. The big lime tree, under which was set a table for 180 people during Chr. VIII's visit, blew down in the Christmas storm in 1902. At Boller was established the first fasaneri (pheasant farm ) in Denmark. A large avenue of  lime trees leads to the motor road  - and from 8 avenues went some of them down to Horsens fjord. According to Pontoppidan's Atlas was a now disappeared arbour in the forest.

Sejet was earlier a parish with church. In 1574 Holger Rosenkrantz had a deed on the church with church yard and land and with allowance to demolish the church and use the material to improve Uth church to which Sejet parish was moved. A memorial stone is raised at the demolished church's place in 1962.

Listed prehistorics: Upon Sejet mark (field) a partly collapsed dolmen chamber and 9 hills, of which 8 in Boller's forest.
Demolished or destroyed: 13 hills.  

Kitchen middens are known from Boller Nederskov and an Iron Age settlement in Klokkedalen.

Names from the Middle Ages: Uth (1492 Voed, 1495 Wodh); Sejet (1416 or 1418 Sede, 1511 Seydt); Neder Ustrup (1477 Wrstrop, 1556 Udstrup); Boller (1350 Boluer, 1435 Boluer, 1442 Boller).

Source: Trap Danmark, Vejle amt, 1964.