3. Västerkulla village

Norrby, Bergby and Västerkulla are the three villages in our area. Norrby and Bergby are so-called ’bolbyar’ which consisted of original farms with land-owning farmers. Västerkulla by is a secluded (separate) village from Bergby, originally called Bergby Västergård. Several farms that formed Västerkulla by climbed the hill in front of us. The name Västerkulla follows in 1780 when a farm was moved to the current Västerkulla Gård (see sign 4). Today, only one farm remains on the old site of Västerkulla by on the hill. In folk language, the farm is called KarlJans.

In the 1950s, the farm was run by siblings Karl and Anna Jansson. Karl is a farmer of the old stock. He keeps two horses, which he takes care of tenderly. He mows the fields and pastures with a scythe, just like in the old days. His sister Anna takes care of the cows, the household and everything that goes with daily life on a small farm. The siblings never marry and live their whole lives together on the farm. The standard of living is simple. Water is carried in buckets, slush is carried out. Heating is done with wood, cooking and baking is done on the wood-burning stove in the kitchen. The toilet is an outdoor toilet, which is used all year round – even in snowstorms and cold.

KarlJans is one of the few farms in the area that still stands on its original site. The current buildings were built around 1875. Even today, a special feeling resides here – a living reminder of Swedish agriculture in the 19th century.

NOTE: Respect the peace and quiet of the home – do not enter the grounds!