Espergærde

Espergærde is a town situated in North Zealand near Øresund and is statistically considered part of the larger urban area Espergærde-Snekkersten-Elsinore, some 5 to 8 km south of the centre of Elsinore and in reality separated from the urban area of Elsinore-Snekkersten by a 100 m wide unbuilt area, Egebæksvang forest and area under natural protection around Flynderupgård (previously a village, later a farm, today a museum). The urban area of Espergærde also covers the two former villages Tibberup and Mørdrup and part of the former fishing village of Skotterup, with 11.524 inhabitants (2008). Espergærde is well limited to the north by Egebæksvang forest and Flynderupgård, to the west by Rolighedsmoserne (swamp area) and Helsingørmotorvejen (motorway or highway), to the south by Krogerup mansion fields and Babyloneskoven (Babylone forest). Espergærde is part of Region Hovedstaden (the captal area).

Espergærde has its own postal number, 3060, and is split in two parishes: Egebæksvang Parish (church nearby the old fishermans village) and Mørdrup Parish (church next to the urban centre).

The name is first documented in 1555 som Esperegierde. The first part of the name refers to an older village, Asperød, meaning "clearing in an aspen forest"=. - g(k)ærde means "fenced".

The original village consisted only of 2 or three farms located at the top of the coastal cliff. In about 1500, a fishing village with 6-8 houses developed on the beach. A road along the coast connected it to Skotterup and Snekkersten) to the north and Humlebæk, Sletten) to the south. From Espergærde a road travelled inland to the village of Mørdrup situated about 2 km from the coast.

According to the land tax registration 1682, 4 fishermen had reserved parts of the coastal area for fishing eal in Øresound, for which they had to pay 2 Danish rigsdaler in land taxes per year; 2 areas were "øde" (out of use). 6 houses without land had to pay 1 rigsdaler in land taxes.

Espergærde, together with the villages Mørdrup and Tibberup, belonged to the mansion Krogerup situated to the south. The farmers in these villages had to make hoveri (farm work) for the mansion, and the road from Mørdrup to the south towards Tibberup (and from here further on to Krogerup) still has the name "Hovvej", referring to these conditions. Krogerup mansion was pne of few private estates in North Zealand which mainly belonged to the crown.

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Wikipedia