Prestegårdsburet

You are now standing by Prestegårdsburet, which was originally part of Opdal vicarage. This 'stabbur' (storage building) is typical of Numedal, with two floors, the second floor having a passage on three sides and an enclosed passage on the other. It originally stood at ground level, but from the 18th century it became common to raise such buildings up on pillars. Usually there are steps up to the door, but in steep terrain, a large stone slab would be laid on the ground instead. In both cases, a long step must be taken to the threshold in front of the door. The gap is there in order to prevent mice or other animals from entering. The first floor of the storehouse was used for storing food while the second floor was where clothes were kept, and in the summer the farm girls would often sleep here. Prestegardsburet has existed in its current form since 1763. The timbers on the second floor have been dendrochronologically dated to 1626. The building may previously have been a simpler, one-storey storage room. The travel cot on the first floor reputedly belonged to a priest, while the shelves are from the main farmhouse. One of the coffins that was found during the excavations in the stave church in 1978, is now in the loft, now without its original contents. Prestegardsburet is listed as a protected building.