Äskhults By

Äskhults By consists of four farms with a total of eleven buildings dating from the 16th to the 19th century. The village's location on a wooded hill is typical of the period. The unique feature is that the farms were not moved to the fields during the redistribution of land and repartition in the 19th century and continue to remain in their original place around a small square in the hamlet.

The farms in Äskhults By

All four farms have five to six acres of land spread out from the centre of the hamlet. Today the buildings are all uninhabited, but of course that was not always the case. In the buildings you learn the stories of some interesting residents and immerse yourself in the pre-industrial way of life. The last inhabitant of Äskhults By was Gottfried Pettersson. He died of tuberculosis in 1964 at the age of 66.

Nils Brorgen (1913 – 2012) was never a resident of Äskhult, but since the 1930s he was so enthusiastic about the village that it is thanks to him that it can now be visited as a cultural reserve. Through his efforts, the 135-hectare nature reserve Äskhult was created in 1997, of which large parts extend to the north, and was declared a cultural reserve in 2004.

The buildings in Äskhults By

The buildings of the four farms Göttas, Jönsas, Bengts and Derras, named after their former inhabitants, stand side by side. The buildings were constructed of oak and pine wood with roofs of thatch, shingles or tiles. The buildings have never been painted and are always receiving small restorations to keep them in their original state.

Historical records say that on average, one to two horses, four to six cows as well as chickens and pigs were kept on each farm. There were also sheep and goats in the hamlet. Today, various old landraces are kept. These include, for example, Åsbo chickens, Linderöd pigs, Texel sheep, Swedish mountain cattle and others.

Prehistoric finds indicate that people lived at this site as early as the Bronze Age, about 2,700 years ago. Ancient cooking and fireplaces were found on the fields of the Göttas and Jönsas farms.

Discover Äskhults By

Four cultural trails of different lengths lead through the village and the landscape of the cultural reserve. At 850 metres, the blue trail is the shortest and also the easiest to walk. The yellow and green paths are 1.4 and 1.5 kilometres long and also invite you to take easier walks. The six kilometres of the red trail are the most challenging. All trails start and end in the hamlet and the long-distance hiking trail Hallandsleden also passes through.

During the high season, guided tours through Äskhults By are offered in Swedish and English. In Bengt's Kaffestuga, visitors can enjoy coffee and cakes or discover sandwiches based on old regional recipes. You can also bring your own picnic and there is a barbecue area at the car park 200 metres away, as well as the only toilets in the cultural reserve.

Äskhults By is a popular destination and about 25,000 people visit the historic settlement every year. A visit with a wheelchair is generally possible, but not easy in some places due to the old buildings. The staff on site are happy to help with suitable ramps. Dogs must be kept on a leash during the entire visit.