Sjundby Manor

 

November 27, 2022

Sjundby Manor dates back to 1417.  Consisting of a large house, a granary-turned-summer café, and a private hydro electric plant, the components of the estate are of varying vintage.  The large stone manor home, referred to as a castle, was built in the 1560s by a man named Jakob Henriksson, using very generous amounts of mortar between the large gray stones. 

Though it changed hands through the years and was occupied by several aristocratic families, the home has been in the possession of the Aldercreutz family for at least the previous 300 years.  The only exception is during the war, when Russians occupied the area and used it as a garrison, from 1944 to 1956.

Sitting high on its lonely hill, it remains a private, gated residence, though it is open for some tours during the summer, as well as an occasional event that is hosted there. 

Directly across the narrow winding road from the mansion is a small hydro electric plant that was built in 1926, according to the stamp on the wall.  

On my previous trip this area was all under a blanket of snow and ice.  Now everything was just a bit slippery.  Also the water wasn't being diverted through turbine or whatever.  We walked down below the power plant building to explore a little.  The boards were a bit slick, but the wet lichen-encrusted rocks were much worse.  

 Most of the river moved rather sluggishly, and the water was low.  Where I recall ice-encrusted rapids, there was now mossy rocks.

Also on the property is an old granary, which is apparently the building that is used as a café during some of the summer months.  It's not clear when that was built, but the Russians left behind some writing on the outside walls.  

There is another small building that I'm not sure of the use or date, but it seems to match the construction of the manor house, so may have been built around the same time.

This little excursion was on my first full day in Finland.  The goal was to stay out in the fresh air, to better stay awake and fight off jetlag.  I did my best to remember details, but likely confused a few things.  However, since I'm not writing this for a Finnish tourist publication, it should be fine.