A wonderful spring day. Clear blue sky with a pleasant warming sun. Under the trees, light is tender and the birds’ song intensive. In the shadow lays the millpond dark and mysterious. The water surface is calm awaiting the adventure in the canal rapids with the vertical rocks. Bear’s garlic is in bloom with strong onion smell. The white gable window in the old barred stone house at the mill ruin is discretely following our movements.
The water power in Rörum’s South River, with in total 15 m fall height split in several steps has historically been very important for the area. Here at Forsefall was Forsemölla (Forse mill), an enclosed farmhouse with grain and fulling mills. The farm was destroyed by fire in the morning 23rd May 1934 and it was never rebuilt. It was a windy day and the fire was probably caused by sparks from igniting the thatched roof. Down the stream is Sträntemölla (Stränte mill), first documented in the 14th century, i.e. one of the oldest watermills in Sweden. It was in operation until 1969. As many other places in Österlen, this was a very lively area characterized by farming and small-scale industries.
The landscape is very hilly. Rörum’s Backar are as spectacular as the more famous Brösarp’s Backar a few kilometres north from here. The forests are dominated by big robust leafy trees with light green foliage. The hilly farming area forms an exiting open landscape with delimiting stone fences. Nowadays, here are grazing animals but also apple orchards on the slopes and in the valleys.
We have visited the Rörum area and the Sträntemölla-Forsemölla Nature Reserve at several occasions the last years and we always discover something new.
