Bastedalens Herrgård

In the early 1880s, Carl Albert Giöbel bought land in Bastedalen and started a factory that manufactured bricks. The family then built the original Manor with a mansion as a home for their small family. During the 1920s, approximately 3 million bricks were produced per year in the mill.

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In 1933, Bastedalen was hit by a major fire and the Mansion burned to the ground in just a few hours. The couple Giöbel managed to save their beloved dining room table from the flames, but in addition only got a few garments out in the cold October morning. The fire was probably caused by a crack in the chimney wall. A new mansion was built on the old wall and thankfully still stands today.

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On May 15, 1970, the chimneys in factory went out for good and an old brickworks tradition went to the grave. Traces of the factory can be found in the form of a barn made out of brick in the harbor.

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Bastedalen - an important port around Lake Vättern

A sure sign of spring 150 years ago was the inhabitants in Harge (Hargeborna) arrival in Jönköping. As soon as the ice broke up, the sailing squadrons came with their large raw sailors, loaded with limestone so that only 40 cm freeboard was left to the water surface. In the best case, the journey could be completed in 7-8 hours, in the worst case up to a week.

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The ship, called Råbock, was a type of ship that was not entirely unusual around the Baltic Sea, but particularly typical of Lake Vättern. It was with very wide planks in the boarding, flat stern and wide around the hull and a cut raw sail. (Cf. with the Viking ships) The load capacity was about 70 tons, the hull was therefore particularly strong and externally as well as internally coated with tar. The crew consisted of two men and was always taken out among the farmers, because according to old engineer Giöbel in Bastedalen "no one else knew how to take care of the strange things on these strange vessels". With reduced demand from Taberg, the importance of Råbockarna decreased, which is why they eventually disappeared. In 1871, only four remained: Elgen, Norden, Styrbjörn, Snäckan and Hjorten. Elgen was rebuilt into a galley and sailed until the autumn of 1997 when she sank off the quay at Dramaten in Stockholm.

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Råbockarnas connection to Hammar is explained by the iron handling at Lerbäck's Bergslag and the presence of the limestone in Hammar parish. According to the sources, mining probably started as early as the end of the 17th century with deliveries mainly to Huskvarna weapons factory and Taberg. The quarrying of limestone still took place until the end of the 1920s, when the last shipload was shipped out of the harbor in Bastedalen. One of the limestone roofs is still there but is closed to the public. You can get a glimpse of it if you go to our Apple Garden.

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