1 April 2006 The passage & chamber stones
Image credit: Tim Clark
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1 April 2006 From the remains of the mound
Image credit: Tim Clark
1 April 2006 According to James Dyer, much of the bank is spoil from the excavation in 1901. But surely if that’s the case, it would have been a tiny mound in comparison to its companion?
Image credit: Tim Clark
1 April 2006 The view from the nearest road, looking roughly west
Image credit: Tim Clark
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Access: A couple of hundred yards across flat fields, could be boggy in wet weather.
Fenced off but accessible through a typical Danish self-closing gate. These are a normal gate leaning far enough from perpendicular that the gate will ‘fall’ closed when released. (With a ‘stop’ to prevent it falling wide open!) I guess they could be a bit awkward for people with mobility restrictions.
To find the monument, take the 11 north from Varde, taking the turn for Mejls. You will be able to see a few barrow mounds – and you may have seen a few from the 11. They’re pretty common here & by & large, far larger than the ‘standard’ ones we’re used to in the UK.
Don’t go to Mejls itself, but take the first left. Almost immediately, you will pass 2 barrows on your right. Pass a farm on the left and at the far end of the next field, you will find a small parking area/layby on the left, by a building (a bungalow I think).
I’m pretty sure there was a signpost, but basically the monument you’re looking for is immediately beyond the field on your left. You’ll be able to see it & it’s more complete partner from the road. Just walk (roughly west) along the field boundary.
Visited 1 April 2006
It was a misty dank afternoon, but we didn’t care as this was our first Danish monument! We’d driven straight here from the ferry port at Esbjerg, having planned a circuitous route across Jutland to Fyn (or Funen) where we were staying.
James Dyer calls this monument (though there are actually 2) a ‘barrow’. What we found was one complete(ish) barrow mound & a denuded, dug out version* with stones exposed. I’d’ve called it a passage grave, but what do I know?!
(*Or trashed – depending on your perspective!)
Kind of nice combination, actually – a complete barrow (or hoj!) and an exploded version to show how it ‘works’. Nice chamber stones, made up of a slightly tumbled passage & a couple of fairly substantial capstones over a small low chamber.
Not completely thrilling, but well worth a look if you’re in the area or passing en route somewhere! A good start to our danish trip.