Norway's oldest home in wood

Norway's oldest home in wood was discovered on Bolkesjø in 2020. This is a treasure we want to take good care of and perhaps most of all - share with others. Here you can read more about the history of Årestua and is it really Norway's oldest?

Gift for Heddal village garden

The history of Årestua began about 1000 years ago, when what are today the logs sprouted in The Cottage . But this story starts in the year 2020. There are over 20 timber buildings on the farm, most of which are more than 100 years old, which of course leads to a lot of maintenance. This is a big, continuous job, and sometimes a cause for concern. That's why we thought it was very exciting when Heddal Bygdetun at Olav Smedsrud (Norwegian Industrial Workers' Museum -NIA) stated in the local newspaper that they were looking for a cookhouse. There they wanted to serve waffles and make sanitary facilities in the basement. We offered them to take over our cookhouse, an old barn in great need of restoration.

Dendrochronological samples

Heddal Bygdetun would like to take over the building, but they would not move it without first determining the age of the timber. Dendrochronological tests are today's leading technology for determining the age of timber. The tests were taken by Hans Marumsrud and sent for analysis at NTNU. A total of 11 logs were tested. The results of the tests surprised everyone, the bulk of the timber was felled in the 1220s! This means that much of the timber in årestua began sprouting before the turn of the millennium!

Norway's - and the world's - oldest home in wood

The Raulandstoga from Nummedal at the Norwegian Folk Museum is dated to 1237, at which time it was referred to as the world's oldest preserved home in wood. This makes Årestua to one of the oldest secular buildings in Norway. To put things into perspective; the oldest secular building we have in Norway (and perhaps the oldest secular wooden building in the world?) is Vindlausloftet in Eidsborg, it is dated to 1167. So only 60 years older than our Årestue! Årestua has probably been the main house on the farm. Profane does not mean religious, the other profane buildings with older dates are all Stabbur or Loft.

The Middle Ages and Heddal Stave Church

The Middle Ages is the period in European history from antiquity to the Renaissance, normally dated from the year 476 to 1453. Årestua was built in what is referred to as the High Middle Ages. Of the events during the period, we can mention that Håkon Håkonssonn was elected king of the Birkebeiners in 1217. Heddal Stave Church is Norway's largest stave church. It is 25 km from Bolkesjø Gård and has tree ring datings from the mid-13th century, but also older and newer parts.

What is a yearbook?

A årestue is a building without a chimney. The fireplace was on the floor in the middle of the room, it was called the åre. The smoke escaped through a hole in the ceiling, a ljore. The åre was used for both heating and cooking. This is how people lived until they learned to build chimneys in the 16th/17th century.

Good help from Vestfold and Telemark County Municipality Department of Cultural Heritage

Unfortunately, there was extensive damage to the timber in Årestua Some of the damage comes from rot, some from pests and some is due to damage/adaptations from previous moves. Årestua has had several well-known locations on the farm. The Norwegian Ministry of Cultural Heritage was involved in the project from the start, but responsibility for medieval buildings has since been transferred to Vestfold and Telemark County Council. Here we have access to professionals and financial support to carry out the work thoroughly.

Reassembly and refurbishment

Årestua has now been picked down, log by log. It has been transported to a hall in Morgedal where it will be restored by skilled professionals, Martin Eriksen and Trygve Lia. At Bolkesjø we have created a new plot, where årestua will be reassembled during the summer of 2023.

Historic interiors and dissemination of cultural heritage

We want to create a place with a very special atmosphere. Here the old history will be årestua conveyed, in combination with all modern facilities. The fireplace will still be the centerpiece of the room. We have visited many a year-round house and read up on historical furnishings. With us on the team we have, among others, Arnt Darrud who designed the extension and traditional craftsmen Martin Eriksen, Trygve Lia and Håkon Fjågesund.

Preserve cultural heritage with a modern extension

During the summer of 2023, årestua back to Bolkesjø. We are building an extension and a new entrance. The extension will have a bathroom, loft and bedroom. The bedroom will have a fantastic view of the Telemark mountains, Gaustatoppen and Blefjell. Guests will be welcomed here from 2024.