The coastal road between Byrum and Äleklinta
Ancient road environment with prehistoric house foundations and graves as well as harbours, boathouse plans, remains after quarrying and Öland's only preserved wind-driven scouring mill, now a building monument.
From Byerum down to Äleklinta, a stretch of just over 30 kilometres, a narrow dirt road winds on the crest of the castle. The view is magnificent over Kalmarsund to the west and the pastured alvar lands to the east. The road runs along the rocky coast of Öland and can be found on maps from the 1600th century but is likely much older. Along the entire road, there are quarries in the shoreline with large quantities of scrap rock. The road has been of great importance for transport to the various shipping ports. Today, quarrying mainly takes place on the eastern side of the road.
The stone industry
The stone industry has medieval origins and its center was at Horn. At Hornsudde, the stonemason's village of Dälje was established in the 1500th century, which was Sweden's first state-sponsored stonemason's workshop. The master stonemason with journeymen was paid by the bailiff at Borgholm Castle and was a royal court supplier. The reasons why the stonemasonry was moved here were the availability of good quality stone and the markedly increased need for artfully cut stone for Borgholm and Kalmar castles. One of the more significant master stonemasons was Roland Moeschlin, who immigrated from France, who, among other things, carved the manor fountain at Kalmar Castle. Just north of the old quarries on Hornsudde there was a shipping port for the stone. No remains remain today and the last time the name Dälje is mentioned is 1690. During the 1630s, the artist Henrik Damér worked in Persnäs to see to the quarrying of stone for a tomb in Strängnäs cathedral. In 1651 it is documented that "Joen" in Gillberga delivered stone to Borgholm castle. The stone that was delivered, among other things, for flooring would also have to be ground, and cattle-driven scrubbers were used for this. There have been many scrubbers and only at the Hallnäs quarry on the east side it is stated that up to 17 scrubbers were running at the same time. During the latter part of the 1800th century, wind-driven scrubbers began to be erected in a number of places. At Jordhamn there is the island's only preserved wind-driven mill. Next to the restored scouring mill are remains of old quarries and older cattle-driven scouring walks. Quarrying also includes lime burning, and remains of lime kilns can be found at Bruddesta, among other places. At Grytehamn there are extensive remains of older quarrying, but here there are also quarries that are still in use through Ölandssten AB. The port lost its importance completely when Sandvik's large port facility was built in the 1870s.
Ancient remains
Along the road there are numerous ancient remains in the form of house grounds and graves. Among other things, Knisa can be mentioned with a 1 x 0,5 kilometer area with twelve house foundations and an extensive stone string system. Six farms and two smaller burial grounds can be distinguished here. At Lofta and Hjälmstad there is a house plot area with ten house plots but also a relatively large number of graves, most of them gathered in three burial fields, totaling around 100 graves of varied shapes. At Grytehamn, there are three burial grounds near the beach with approximately 35 graves, eleven of which are sunken after coffin graves. At Högåsen there are two burial grounds, including a larger one consisting of nearly 60 facilities. The environment also includes a bowl pit block and northeast of Högåsen there is a stone string system. In the northernmost part of the area, at Norra Grankärret, there are eight ancient enclosures, built on seawalls. Single Bronze Age cairns occur, examples of which can be mentioned include Bruddesta rør and Blå rør at Korntorp. Overall, the archaeological environments show that even the barren stone coast has had a settlement here since at least the end of the Early Iron Age. One can also, through the location of some of the remains near the coast, guess that the economy in the prehistoric society, as in the historical one, was differentiated. The villages in the vicinity may have engaged in varied pursuits where, among other things, fishing has played a major role. It may also be the case that the burial fields located near the shore may represent a population that specialized in sea food/sailing. Many of the ancient remains environments often occur in connection with the places that historically constituted the most important harbor and fishing locations.
Along the road there are also well-preserved boathouses, among the more interesting are the boathouses at Hornsudde, Gillberga, Jordhamn, Bruddesta and Äleklinta. At Hornsudde there is a nursing home site, attached to a stone pipe which is still preserved. The stone pipe has also served as a sea mark and is marked on a chart from 1792.
The stone industry
The stone industry has medieval origins and its center was at Horn. At Hornsudde, the stonemason's village of Dälje was established in the 1500th century, which was Sweden's first state-sponsored stonemason's workshop. The master stonemason with journeymen was paid by the bailiff at Borgholm Castle and was a royal court supplier. The reasons why the stonemasonry was moved here were the availability of good quality stone and the markedly increased need for artfully cut stone for Borgholm and Kalmar castles. One of the more significant master stonemasons was Roland Moeschlin, who immigrated from France, who, among other things, carved the manor fountain at Kalmar Castle. Just north of the old quarries on Hornsudde there was a shipping port for the stone. No remains remain today and the last time the name Dälje is mentioned is 1690. During the 1630s, the artist Henrik Damér worked in Persnäs to see to the quarrying of stone for a tomb in Strängnäs cathedral. In 1651 it is documented that "Joen" in Gillberga delivered stone to Borgholm castle. The stone that was delivered, among other things, for flooring would also have to be ground, and cattle-driven scrubbers were used for this. There have been many scrubbers and only at the Hallnäs quarry on the east side it is stated that up to 17 scrubbers were running at the same time. During the latter part of the 1800th century, wind-driven scrubbers began to be erected in a number of places. At Jordhamn there is the island's only preserved wind-driven mill. Next to the restored scouring mill are remains of old quarries and older cattle-driven scouring walks. Quarrying also includes lime burning, and remains of lime kilns can be found at Bruddesta, among other places. At Grytehamn there are extensive remains of older quarrying, but here there are also quarries that are still in use through Ölandssten AB. The port lost its importance completely when Sandvik's large port facility was built in the 1870s.
Ancient remains
Along the road there are numerous ancient remains in the form of house grounds and graves. Among other things, Knisa can be mentioned with a 1 x 0,5 kilometer area with twelve house foundations and an extensive stone string system. Six farms and two smaller burial grounds can be distinguished here. At Lofta and Hjälmstad there is a house plot area with ten house plots but also a relatively large number of graves, most of them gathered in three burial fields, totaling around 100 graves of varied shapes. At Grytehamn, there are three burial grounds near the beach with approximately 35 graves, eleven of which are sunken after coffin graves. At Högåsen there are two burial grounds, including a larger one consisting of nearly 60 facilities. The environment also includes a bowl pit block and northeast of Högåsen there is a stone string system. In the northernmost part of the area, at Norra Grankärret, there are eight ancient enclosures, built on seawalls. Single Bronze Age cairns occur, examples of which can be mentioned include Bruddesta rør and Blå rør at Korntorp. Overall, the archaeological environments show that even the barren stone coast has had a settlement here since at least the end of the Early Iron Age. One can also, through the location of some of the remains near the coast, guess that the economy in the prehistoric society, as in the historical one, was differentiated. The villages in the vicinity may have engaged in varied pursuits where, among other things, fishing has played a major role. It may also be the case that the burial fields located near the shore may represent a population that specialized in sea food/sailing. Many of the ancient remains environments often occur in connection with the places that historically constituted the most important harbor and fishing locations.
Along the road there are also well-preserved boathouses, among the more interesting are the boathouses at Hornsudde, Gillberga, Jordhamn, Bruddesta and Äleklinta. At Hornsudde there is a nursing home site, attached to a stone pipe which is still preserved. The stone pipe has also served as a sea mark and is marked on a chart from 1792.