Gartland
Encyclopedia
Gartland is a village in the municipality of Grong
in Nord-Trøndelag
county, Norway
. It is located on the northwestern side of the river Namsen
about 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of the municipal center, Medjå
. The village sits along the main European route E6
highway and the Nordlandsbanen
railway line. Directly across the river are the farm areas of Elstad and Rosset. The main sources of income for residents of Gartland is agriculture
, forestry
, and salmon
fishing
during the summer. Gartland is a scarcely populated area of about fifteen farms. There is one store in the area which sells building materials.
In earlier days, the village of Gartland had a general store
, post office
, school, and Gløshaug Church
(the old church in northern Harran
). Now only the church is still in use, situated on a hill above Gartland. The river Namsen
is known for excellent salmon
fishing. In the 1800s and 1900s, several Englishmen (some of those were noblemen) owned houses along the river at Gartland, where they lived during their stay in Grong. One was Thomas Merthyr Guest, a man of considerable wealth. He bought two Gartland farms and in 1873 the old Gløshaug Church
. Grong municipality wanted to tear down the old church and build a new church for Harran, but instead Mr. Guest restored it. The new Harran Church
was put up at Fiskum in the village of Harran
. Mr. Guest's widow sold the church in 1908 to a local farmer who in turn in 1910 gave the church to the municipality.
. Others consider that "Galta" is a form of the male name Galti. In that case, "land" means a large area of land, so Gartland may mean "Galtes land".
Grong
is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Namdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Medjå. Other villages in the municipality include Bergsmoen, Formofoss, Gartland, and Harran....
in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located on the northwestern side of the river Namsen
Namsen
Namsen is the biggest river in Nord-Trøndelag county, in the central part of Norway. The long river flows through the municipalities of Røyrvik, Namsskogan, Grong, Overhalla, and Namsos. It traditionally has been used for floating timber down from the forests to the town of Namsos, where the...
about 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of the municipal center, Medjå
Medjå
Medjå or Grong is a village which serves as the administrative center of the municipality of Grong in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located along the river Namsen, at the confluence with the river Sanddøla. The Nordlandsbanen railway line runs along the eastern part of the village,...
. The village sits along the main European route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
highway and the Nordlandsbanen
Nordlandsbanen
The Nordland Line is a railway line between Trondheim and Bodø in Norway. Running for approximately 729 km, it is the Norwegian railway system's longest line, and the only one in Norway to cross the Arctic Circle. It is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration...
railway line. Directly across the river are the farm areas of Elstad and Rosset. The main sources of income for residents of Gartland is agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, and salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
during the summer. Gartland is a scarcely populated area of about fifteen farms. There is one store in the area which sells building materials.
In earlier days, the village of Gartland had a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, school, and Gløshaug Church
Gløshaug Church
Gløshaug Church is a parish church in the municipality of Grong in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gartland. The church is part of the Harran parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros...
(the old church in northern Harran
Harran, Norway
Harran is a parish, a village, and a former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The parish and village of Harran is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Grong, about north of the village of Medjå, the administrative center of Grong. Harran is part of the...
). Now only the church is still in use, situated on a hill above Gartland. The river Namsen
Namsen
Namsen is the biggest river in Nord-Trøndelag county, in the central part of Norway. The long river flows through the municipalities of Røyrvik, Namsskogan, Grong, Overhalla, and Namsos. It traditionally has been used for floating timber down from the forests to the town of Namsos, where the...
is known for excellent salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
fishing. In the 1800s and 1900s, several Englishmen (some of those were noblemen) owned houses along the river at Gartland, where they lived during their stay in Grong. One was Thomas Merthyr Guest, a man of considerable wealth. He bought two Gartland farms and in 1873 the old Gløshaug Church
Gløshaug Church
Gløshaug Church is a parish church in the municipality of Grong in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Gartland. The church is part of the Harran parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros...
. Grong municipality wanted to tear down the old church and build a new church for Harran, but instead Mr. Guest restored it. The new Harran Church
Harran Church
Harran Church is a parish church in the municipality of Grong in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Harran. The church is part of the Harran parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The white, wooden church building was constructed in 1874 to replace...
was put up at Fiskum in the village of Harran
Harran, Norway
Harran is a parish, a village, and a former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The parish and village of Harran is located in the northern part of the present-day municipality of Grong, about north of the village of Medjå, the administrative center of Grong. Harran is part of the...
. Mr. Guest's widow sold the church in 1908 to a local farmer who in turn in 1910 gave the church to the municipality.
Name
The meaning of the name Gartland (or historically "Galtland") is uncertain. Some think it is derived from the old name for the local river "Galta" or "Garta" (now called Gartlandselva), which flows down into the main river NamsenNamsen
Namsen is the biggest river in Nord-Trøndelag county, in the central part of Norway. The long river flows through the municipalities of Røyrvik, Namsskogan, Grong, Overhalla, and Namsos. It traditionally has been used for floating timber down from the forests to the town of Namsos, where the...
. Others consider that "Galta" is a form of the male name Galti. In that case, "land" means a large area of land, so Gartland may mean "Galtes land".