Bystad Manor 

Bystad manor is located on the northern shore of Lake Sottern and dates back to the 14th century. The farm got its current appearance mainly during the 1720s and is today a well-preserved example of a late Carolingian facility.

Bystad was a manor house as early as the 14th century and was inhabited by Böghil van Hoo, who in 1380 was appointed district chief in Östra Närke. The current farm facility was created by Governor Bror Andersson Rålamb at the turn of the century 1500-1600. His son Claes Brorsson Rålamb began building the Late Carolingian facility. The farm got its current design mainly in the 1720s.

Bystad and Brevens Bruk becomes entailed estate

During the 17th century, Brevens Bruk was incorporated into Bystad. In 1778, Bystad and Brevens Bruk became entailed estate. At the beginning of the 19th century, the property was run by Johan August Anckarswärd, who vigorously modernized both the mill and the farm. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, Johan August Gripenstedt.

Johan August and Eva Gripenstedt

Johan August Gripenstedt (1813–1874) was one of Sweden’s most important personalities during his time. He married in 1842 Eva Sofia Charlotta Anckarswärd (1819–1887). Eva’s family belonged to the liberal circles that worked for a modernization of Sweden, and Johan August thus became strongly politically involved. In 1848 he was given a seat in the government, and he was Minister of Finance from 1856 to 1866. He worked for free trade and was of crucial importance for the expansion of the main line network. He also made a significant contribution to the representation reform, when the county parliament was abolished in 1866. Johan August Gripenstedt’s efforts during the 19th century to modernize the country, became crucial to Sweden’s development into a welfare society later in the 20th century. While Johan August was involved in the country’s management and lived in Stockholm for most of the year, it was Eva who took care of the day-to-day running of their properties.

The main building

The timbered main building is built on two floors. Most rooms have a well-preserved 18th-century décor with, among other things, rococo-tiled stoves on iron feet and parapet panels. In the lower and upper hall, the walls are decorated with paintings from the 18th century, made directly on the panel.

The manor’s buildings

Many buildings at the manor have been preserved, including warehouses from the end of the 18th century, as well as stables, a laundry room and a driver’s and manager’s residence from the end of the 19th century. In the yard there is also a well-preserved store house from the late 16th or early 17th century. The type of building is extremely unusual and the store house at Bystad is the only one of its kind in the county. In the whole country there is only one direct equivalent, the store house at Björkvik, Östra Ryds parish in Östergötland, which was built in 1893 as a copy at Skansen. Bystad manor is a well-preserved and complete Late Carolingian facility from the 1720s. The buildings in the central courtyard have a very high building and architectural value. Together they form a uniform and well-cohesive manor environment.