Namsos
Encyclopedia
is a town and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Namdalen
region
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund
, Klinga, Ramsvika
, Skomsvoll
, and Spillum
.
The town of Namsos lies at the mouth of the Namsen
river on the Namsenfjorden
. The 7.26 square kilometres (1,794 acre) town has a population (2011) of 9,537. The population density
is 1314 PD/km2.
The location by the river and the large forest
s nearby made the town ideal for sawmill
s. There were eleven mills in their heyday, but only one remains: Moelven Van Severen. In addition, The Norwegian Sawmill museum
is located at Spillum
just south of the town. The museum is located at the now closed and restored Spillum Dampsag & Hovleri sawmill from 1884.
The town has a swimming pool
called Oasen (Oasis) that is built inside a mountain – one of the first, but far from the only, such construction projects in Norway.
In 1846, the town of Namsos was established at the mouth of the Namsen
river in the Sævik
area of Overhalden
. It was established as its own municipality, with 591 inhabitants, as it was separated from Vemundvik
(Namsos herred/Namsos landdistrikt).
In 1865, Namsos also became a parish in the Church of Norway
. It had been decided to build a church in the city in March 1859; the construction was finished in November. In May 1865, the parish was created, with the sub-parishes of Sævik and Vemundvik, formerly within Overhalla parishh, was incorporated into Namsos' parish limits.
Areas of Vemundvik lying adjacent to the town of Namsos were later incorporated within the city limits on numerous occasions. On 1 January 1882, an area with 109 inhabitants was moved to the city; on 1 July 1921 an area with 927 inhabitants; and on 1 July 1957, another area with a population of 6. On 1 January 1964, the size of Namsos was significantly increased as the municipalities Vemundvik (population: 2,040) and Klinga (population: 2,482) were incorporated into it. The same thing happened with the northern part of Otterøy
(population: 1,013), and the Finnanger area of Fosnes
(population: 116) were incorporated into Namsos. Namsos, which previously had a population of 5,224, had its size increased to 10,875 inhabitants.
. The last element is os, which means the "mouth of a river
".
is from modern times; they were granted on 5 May 1961. The arms show a yellow moose
on a red background. The moose was chosen as a symbol for the municipality, since Namsos is the capital of the forest-rich Namdalen
region, and the moose is the "king of the forest".
has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Namsos. It is part of the Namdal deanery
in the Diocese of Nidaros
.
when the town was bombed by German airplanes on 20 April 1940 to mark Hitler's birthday.
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) from the sea, near the head of Namsenfjorden
and at the mouth of the river Namsen
, one of the richest salmon
rivers in Europe
. The municipality also includes the islands of Otterøya
and Hoddøya
as well as the southwestern half of Elvalandet island.
The main part of the town is built on a small, low-lying promontory
which extends into the bay. To the north, low forest
ed hills rise fairly steeply to over 200 metres (656.2 ft). There is a viewpoint from the hills above the city which is called Klompen with a height of 114 metres (374 ft) with a road for cars up to the top that is open each summer. To the east extends the wide Namdalen
valley. To the south over the bay and mouth of the river Namsen are hills that reach 440 metres (1,443.6 ft).
. The average temperature in January is -2.4 C, in July it is 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). The mean annual temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) and the annual precipitation is 1340 millimetres (52.8 in).
is located just outside of the town of Namsos. Norwegian County Road 17 runs through part of the municipality. The now-defunct Namsosbanen railway line once ran from Namsos to Grong
. The island of Otterøya
is connected to the mainland via the Lokkaren Bridge
.
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
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, 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 part of the Namdalen
Namdalen
Namdalen is a traditional district in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Namsos, Grong, Overhalla, Røyrvik, Fosnes, Nærøy, Høylandet, Namdalseid, Flatanger, Lierne, Leka, Namsskogan, and Vikna, all in Nord-Trøndelag county. The district has two towns: Kolvereid and Namsos...
region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Namsos. Other villages in the municipality include Bangsund
Bangsund
Bangsund is a village in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It lies along the Løgnin arm of the Namsenfjorden, about south of the town of Namsos. The village has a population of 938. The population density is .-History:...
, Klinga, Ramsvika
Ramsvika, Nord-Trøndelag
Ramsvika is a village in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located about north of the town of Namsos and about west of Vemundvik Church....
, Skomsvoll
Skomsvoll
Skomsvoll is a village on the island of Otterøya in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the south side of the island, along the Namsenfjorden. The village of Statland lies across the fjord from Skomsvoll, with the island of Hoddøya nearby. The main...
, and Spillum
Spillum
Spillum is a village in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Namsen river about directly south of the town of Namsos and about north of the village of Klinga. The Norwegian Sawmill museum is located in Spillum....
.
The town of Namsos lies at the mouth of the 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...
river on the Namsenfjorden
Namsenfjorden
The Namsenfjorden or Namsfjorden is a fjord in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The long fjord flows along the border between the municipalities of Namsos, Namdalseid, and Flatanger. It runs southeast from the Folda, between the mainland in the south and the island of Otterøya in the north, past...
. The 7.26 square kilometres (1,794 acre) town has a population (2011) of 9,537. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
is 1314 PD/km2.
The location by the river and the large forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s nearby made the town ideal for sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. There were eleven mills in their heyday, but only one remains: Moelven Van Severen. In addition, The Norwegian Sawmill museum
The Norwegian Sawmill museum
The Norwegian Sawmill Museum is a museum located at Spillum, to the immediate south of Namsos. The museum opened in 1991, based on the then closed down Spillum Sawmill & Planing, a sawmill from 1884. The Norwegian sawmill industry were around the turn of the nineteenth century one of Norway’s...
is located at Spillum
Spillum
Spillum is a village in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The village is located along the Namsen river about directly south of the town of Namsos and about north of the village of Klinga. The Norwegian Sawmill museum is located in Spillum....
just south of the town. The museum is located at the now closed and restored Spillum Dampsag & Hovleri sawmill from 1884.
The town has a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
called Oasen (Oasis) that is built inside a mountain – one of the first, but far from the only, such construction projects in Norway.
General information
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...
river in the Sævik
Sævik
Sævik or Sævig is a small village in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway.Sævik had a church and was for many years a sub-parish ; recorded in the 1500s as a part of Fosnes parish , from 1820 in Overhalla parish...
area of Overhalden
Overhalla
Overhalla 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 Ranemsletta . Other villages include Melen, Skage, Skogmo, Svalia, and Øysletta.The population is concentrated in the relatively broad...
. It was established as its own municipality, with 591 inhabitants, as it was separated from Vemundvik
Vemundvik
Vemundvik is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It roughly corresponds to the mainland parts of the present-day municipality of Namsos that lie north of the river Namsen.-History:...
(Namsos herred/Namsos landdistrikt).
In 1865, Namsos also became a parish in the Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
. It had been decided to build a church in the city in March 1859; the construction was finished in November. In May 1865, the parish was created, with the sub-parishes of Sævik and Vemundvik, formerly within Overhalla parishh, was incorporated into Namsos' parish limits.
Areas of Vemundvik lying adjacent to the town of Namsos were later incorporated within the city limits on numerous occasions. On 1 January 1882, an area with 109 inhabitants was moved to the city; on 1 July 1921 an area with 927 inhabitants; and on 1 July 1957, another area with a population of 6. On 1 January 1964, the size of Namsos was significantly increased as the municipalities Vemundvik (population: 2,040) and Klinga (population: 2,482) were incorporated into it. The same thing happened with the northern part of Otterøy
Otterøy
Otterøy is a former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipalities of Namsos and Namdalseid. The former municipality included most of the island of Otterøya, the island of Hoddøya, and some of the mainland southwest of those islands. The area...
(population: 1,013), and the Finnanger area of Fosnes
Fosnes
Fosnes 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 Dun on the island of Jøa. Other villages include Salsnes and Nufsfjord.-General information:...
(population: 116) were incorporated into Namsos. Namsos, which previously had a population of 5,224, had its size increased to 10,875 inhabitants.
Name
The first part of the name comes from the local 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...
. The last element is os, which means the "mouth of a river
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times; they were granted on 5 May 1961. The arms show a yellow moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
on a red background. The moose was chosen as a symbol for the municipality, since Namsos is the capital of the forest-rich Namdalen
Namdalen
Namdalen is a traditional district in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Namsos, Grong, Overhalla, Røyrvik, Fosnes, Nærøy, Høylandet, Namdalseid, Flatanger, Lierne, Leka, Namsskogan, and Vikna, all in Nord-Trøndelag county. The district has two towns: Kolvereid and Namsos...
region, and the moose is the "king of the forest".
- See also: Coats-of-arms of AremarkAremarkAremark is a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Fosby.Aremark was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The new municipality of Øymark was separated from Aremark on 1 July 1903.- Name :The Norse form of the name was...
, NamsskoganNamsskoganNamsskogan is a village and municipality in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway. Namsskogan is located in the upper part of the long Namdalen valley region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Namsskogan...
, RingsakerRingsakeris a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Brumunddal.The municipality of Ringsaker was established on 1 January 1838...
and TynsetTynsetTynset is a municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Tynset.-Name:...
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has four parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Namsos. It is part of the Namdal deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
in the Diocese of Nidaros
Diocese of Nidaros
Nidaros is a diocese in the Lutheran Church of Norway. It covers Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag counties and its cathedral city is Trondheim, which houses the well-known Nidaros Cathedral. The diocese is divided into 12 deaneries . Finn Wagle was the bishop from 1991 to 2008...
.
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Location of the Church | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Klinga | Klinga Church Klinga Church Klinga Church is a parish church in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Klinga. The church is part of the Klinga parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The white, wooden church was built in 1866 and seats about 270... |
Klinga | 1866 |
| Namsos | Namsos Church Namsos Church Namsos Church is a parish church in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the center of the town of Namsos, just north of the river Namsen. The church is part of the Namsos parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros... |
Namsos | 1960 |
| Otterøy | Otterøy Church Otterøy Church Otterøy Church is a parish church in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Skomsvoll on the island of Otterøya. The church is part of the Otterøy parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The octagonal wood church building was... |
Skomsvoll Skomsvoll Skomsvoll is a village on the island of Otterøya in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located on the south side of the island, along the Namsenfjorden. The village of Statland lies across the fjord from Skomsvoll, with the island of Hoddøya nearby. The main... |
1858 |
| Vemundvik | Vemundvik Church Vemundvik Church Vemundvik Church is a parish church in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the village of Vemundvik, just east of Ramsvika. The church is part of the Vemundvik parish in the Namdal deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros. The white, wooden church building was... |
Vemundvik Vemundvik Vemundvik is a village and former municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It roughly corresponds to the mainland parts of the present-day municipality of Namsos that lie north of the river Namsen.-History:... |
1875 |
History
The town of Namsos was founded in 1845. Consisting mostly of wooden houses, it has been burned down to the ground on three occasions during its relatively short history. The first fire was in 1872, caused by two boys playing with matches. The second fire was in 1897, from an unknown cause. The third time was during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the town was bombed by German airplanes on 20 April 1940 to mark Hitler's birthday.
Geography
The town is located on a small bayBay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) from the sea, near the head of Namsenfjorden
Namsenfjorden
The Namsenfjorden or Namsfjorden is a fjord in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The long fjord flows along the border between the municipalities of Namsos, Namdalseid, and Flatanger. It runs southeast from the Folda, between the mainland in the south and the island of Otterøya in the north, past...
and at the mouth 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...
, one of the richest 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...
rivers in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The municipality also includes the islands of Otterøya
Otterøya
Otterøya is an island in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the largest island in the county. Otterøya sits northwest of the town of Namsos on the north side of the Namsenfjorden. It is connected to the mainland by the Lokkaren Bridge. The island was once part of...
and Hoddøya
Hoddøya
Hoddøya is an island in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It lies in the Namsenfjorden, about west of the town of Namsos. The island is located between the island of Otterøya and the mainland of Flatanger ....
as well as the southwestern half of Elvalandet island.
The main part of the town is built on a small, low-lying promontory
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
which extends into the bay. To the north, low forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
ed hills rise fairly steeply to over 200 metres (656.2 ft). There is a viewpoint from the hills above the city which is called Klompen with a height of 114 metres (374 ft) with a road for cars up to the top that is open each summer. To the east extends the wide Namdalen
Namdalen
Namdalen is a traditional district in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Namsos, Grong, Overhalla, Røyrvik, Fosnes, Nærøy, Høylandet, Namdalseid, Flatanger, Lierne, Leka, Namsskogan, and Vikna, all in Nord-Trøndelag county. The district has two towns: Kolvereid and Namsos...
valley. To the south over the bay and mouth of the river Namsen are hills that reach 440 metres (1,443.6 ft).
Climate
The climate is generally maritimeOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
. The average temperature in January is -2.4 C, in July it is 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). The mean annual temperature is 5 °C (41 °F) and the annual precipitation is 1340 millimetres (52.8 in).
Transportation
Namsos Airport, HøknesøraNamsos Airport, Høknesøra
Namsos Airport, Høknesøra is a regional airport located along the Namsen river, just outside of the town of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. The airport is served with Dash 8 aircraft from Widerøe on public service obligation contracts with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport and...
is located just outside of the town of Namsos. Norwegian County Road 17 runs through part of the municipality. The now-defunct Namsosbanen railway line once ran from Namsos to Grong
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....
. The island of Otterøya
Otterøya
Otterøya is an island in the municipality of Namsos in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the largest island in the county. Otterøya sits northwest of the town of Namsos on the north side of the Namsenfjorden. It is connected to the mainland by the Lokkaren Bridge. The island was once part of...
is connected to the mainland via the Lokkaren Bridge
Lokkaren Bridge
Lokkaren Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the strait Lokkarsundet between the mainland in Namsos and the island of Otterøya in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located about northwest of the town of Namsos. The long bridge was opened on 2 December 1977.-External links:*...
.
Media gallery
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Oasen Swimming Pool
- Avinor: Picture showing Namsos Airport and Namsos