11. The End of the Croft

This is where the crofter would have fetched water. The well must have been several metres deep but over the years it’s filled up with leaves. The stone lining is still visible. We don’t know when the well was dug and lined. It may have been done by a tenant who discovered that there was plenty of water and so dug a well. There were no tall trees then – the terrain was open and probably grass-covered.

But let’s go back to the nobleman and his tenant. A dispute arose between them when Adlerberg became the new owner of Djurö. Olof Kumberg sued Adlerberg for putting the rent up and evicting him. He claimed that he had an agreement with the previous owner giving him the right to use the croft for as long as he liked. The dispute ended with Olof Kumberg being forced to move and the story goes that Kumberg, in a fit of anger, tore down the cottage and took all the building materials away with him.

This is the last stop on the trail. To get back to the beginning, carry straight on.