BÆLUM

Co-housing in Himmerland, Northern Jutland.

Two families came together to buy a piece of land at the outskirts of the village Bælum.In the northern end, towards the village, there once was a farm. The houses had been torn down, and the only remnants of the habitation were some hazel hedgerows and a very large chestnut tree, planted probably 200 years ago a few meters from the north-west corner of the dwelling house. Such a tree, planted to protect the house and the 'cabbage yard' (kålgård) is called an arbel in the local dialect (cognate with Latin arbor, or Spanish árbol?).