View source for Halltorp

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[[File:13009862-borgholm-castle-borgholm-slott.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Borgholm Castle]] ruin, part of the historic Halltorp estate]]
[[File:HalltorpsHage.JPG|thumb|250px|Old oak forest in Halltorps Hage]]
'''Halltorp''' was one of the earliest manors on the island of [[Öland]], [[Sweden]], dating from the 11th century AD.  In early documents it is known as '''Hauldtorp''', and it is cited as one of the early [[Viking Age]] settlements of Öland.  From early times it has functioned as a royal farm associated with the Swedish Crown and was considered one of the finest hunting preserves on the island.  There is a [[Relict (biology)|relict]] [[Quercus robur|oak]] forest on the present grounds which contains numerous trees that are centuries old.  Halltorp is in an area rich in history and [[biodiversity]], and most of the southern part of the island of Öland has been designated as a [[Agricultural landscape of southern Öland|World Heritage Site]]. The site is adjacent to the perimeter highway, [[Route 136 (Öland, Sweden)|Route 136]].
==Architecture==
Limestone was quarried from the local [[Stora Alvaret]] to produce the core of the present manor in the late 18th century, although it is known an earlier manor house stood here for centuries.  The limestone blocks obtained from the local [[alvar]] are exceptionally flat with little fashioning just as they come from the quarry and are very easy to stack for use in building construction.<ref>C. M. Hogan, ''The Stora Alvaret of Oland'', Lumina Technologies, Aberdeen Library Archives, July 9, 2006</ref>
==Early history==
Only [[Borgholm Castle|Borgholm]] and [[Ottenby]] are documented in early writings to have been Viking era settlements along with Halltorp, although [[archaeology|archaeological]] records show evidence of Vikings at a number of other locations on Öland: namely, [[Gettlinge]], [[Alby, Öland|Alby]] and [[Hulterstad]]. A manor house is thought to have existed here since at least the [[Late Middle Ages]]. In the 17th century Halltorp was integrated to the royal Borgholm estate, where [[Borgholm Castle]] is situated about seven kilometers to the north.  The extensive forest area west of Halltorp Manor house ran all the way to [[Kalmar Strait]]. The kings of the [[House of Vasa]] used this [[woodland]] area as one of their prime hunting preserves.  Also on site is a great [[carpinus betulus|European hornbeam]] forest, one of the largest within Sweden, that is documented to derive from at least as early as the 17th century.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.borgholmsslott.se/|title =  Borgholm Castle|website= borgholmsslott |access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
[[Frederick I of Sweden|King Frederick I of Sweden]] bestowed Halltorp royal farm upon [[Sven Aderman]] in the year 1723 to acknowledge his invention of a rapid firing [[musket]] during the wars of [[Charles XII of Sweden|King Karl XII]]. By 1760 captain  Edvard Lukhehorn  was reflected as the owner of Halltorp estate.  It has been deduced that a grand manor house of native [[limestone]] was created in the late 18th century, which is the core of the present structure.  As late as the year 1804 the estate was held by descendants of Lukhehorn.
==From 19th century==
By 1820 Halltorp estate was partitioned, with the new owners being Baron M. [[Falkenberg]] and Colonel A. Von Franchen, the latter who also served as the royal [[Chamberlain (office)|Chamberlain]].  In this era Halltorp still consisted of its present-day lands as well as the coastal [[Ekerum]] estate, a 180 hectare holding having several [[Croft (land)|croft]] buildings.  Then in the year 1859 a [[Riksdag of the Estates|parliament]] member, Erik Johan Rudberg (1821-1899) bought the Halltorp holding, who held it until selling to Johan Persson in 1895.
==Halltorps Gästgiveri==
[[File:Halltorps Gästgiveri,Öland 01.jpg|200px|right|Halltorps Gastgiveri]]
At the end of [[World War I]] Halltorp was sold to three municipalities and was converted into a retirement home, which operated until 1973.  Two years later the manor became Halltorps Gästgiveri, an inn with guest rooms. In 1991, a twenty five guest room addition was created in the form of a new wing sweeping to the west joining in [[L Plan Castle|L-Plan design]] to the older manor core.  There were also added two [[spa]]s, a [[wine cellar]], a winter garden and some conference rooms.<ref>{{cite web|url=   https://visitoland.com/en/visit/halltorps-gastgiveri/  |title =Halltorps Gästgiveri|website=  visitoland.com|access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
The manor house was designed with an entrance facing east, such that upon entering the vestibule, a [[great hall]] lay immediately ahead where the present day dining room is situated.  Further west of the hall were the south facing kitchen, still the current day kitchen, and two other rooms facing north  which have now been adapted to reception areas of the present day inn.  The original first floor  had a large loft, which area is now converted to guest rooms.<ref>''Halltorps Gastgiveri Description'', Halltorps Gästgiveri, Borgholm (2004)</ref>
==Halltorps Hage==
[[Halltorps hage]], the [[nature reserve]] at Halltorp lies to the west of the manor house extending to the Kalmar Strait. In addition to the ancient oak forest, this area is known for several wild [[orchid]]s including: Common spotted orchid, ''[[Dactylorhiza fuchsii]]''; ''Listera ovata''; and Bird’s-nest orchid, ''[[Neottia nidus-avis]]''.  Many other [[rare species|rare]] and [[endangered species]] can be found to the east on the [[Stora Alvaret]], although in this northern part of Öland the [[alvar]] [[habitat]] is more fragmented than in the south of the island where large expanses of [[limestone pavement]] [[ecosystem]] exist.<ref>Håkan Sandbring and Martin Borg, ''Oland: Island of Stone and Green'', May, 1997</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.lansstyrelsen.se/kalmar/besoksmal/naturreservat/halltorps-hage.html   |title =  Halltorps hage|website=  Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län|access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[Kalmar Strait]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.halltorp.se/ Halltorp website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061011062318/http://www.h.lst.se/h/amnen/Natur/skyddad_natur/naturresevat/borgholm/halltorpshage.htm Halltorp Nature Reserve (in Swedish)]
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[[Category:Manor houses in Sweden]]
[[Category:Öland]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Kalmar County]]
[[Category:Geography of Kalmar County]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kalmar County]]
[[Category:Nature reserves in Sweden]]