A manor house with medieval roots

Along Holbækvej between Kalundborg and Svebølle lies Birkendegaard, a West Zealand manor house with a history stretching all the way back to 1363. Back then the place was known as Byrchinge and belonged to the Bishopric of Roskilde as a fief under the Crown. Today the main building rises distinctly in the landscape with its red brickwork, stepped gables and the characteristic oriel tower at the east gable — a piece of Danish manor house architecture that speaks of ambition, fire and rebuilding.

From bishop's fief to county

After the Reformation in 1536, Birkendegaard passed to the Crown and was placed under Kalundborg Fief. The estate's status changed decisively in 1672, when Lieutenant General Jørgen Bielke received it as compensation for losses suffered during military service. Two years later he was granted permission to establish Birkendegaard as a manor house, marking the beginning of a new era. In 1700 the estate changed hands to Johan Christopher von Schønbach, before Christian Lerche acquired it in 1743 and incorporated Birkendegaard into the Lerchenborg entailed estate. In 1818 the entailed estate was elevated to a county — a title that underscores the close connection between Birkendegaard and the nearby Lerchenborg Castle.

The main building from 1854

The present main building was erected in 1854 by Vilhelm Cornelius Magnus Lerche, after the previous building burned down in 1851. The architecture is historicist with elements of both Neo-Renaissance and Neo-Gothic styles: two storeys above a tall basement, red brickwork, stepped gables, a tile roof with dormers and an oriel tower that gives the building its unmistakable silhouette. The adjacent farm buildings date from 1852 and are likewise built in solid masonry. Around the main building lies a garden laid out in the landscape style, softly merging with the surrounding agricultural land.

The Agricultural Museum and present day

Birkendegaard is run today as a mix of agriculture, forestry and residential rental, and the estate encompasses approximately 202 hectares. In 1994 the setup of the Agricultural Museum began in the old bull stable, and the museum officially opened in 1997. That same year, parts of the buildings were restored by architect L. Schrøder. The museum offers insight into the agricultural history of the area and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in cultural history and West Zealand farming life. The estate is today owned by the Faye family, who have held Birkendegaard since 1921.

The landscape around Kalundborg

Birkendegaard sits in the rolling moraine landscape between Kalundborg and Lake Tissø, where fields and small woodlands alternate with views over fjord and river valleys. From here it is a short distance to Kalundborg town with its iconic Church of Our Lady and medieval streets, and to the south Lake Tissø spreads out as Zealand's fourth-largest lake with rich birdlife and ancient monuments. The area offers excellent hiking and cycling routes along quiet country lanes, and along the coast at Saltbæk Vig you will find one of Northern Europe's most important bird reserves. In terms of cultural history, the region is rich in manor houses — Lerchenborg, Vesterbygaard and Saltbækvig all lie within short distance, and together they paint a picture of a region shaped by landowners, agriculture and a close bond with the sea.

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