malside_engelsk

In the middle of the 20th century there were some streams in the area around Vennesla Upper Secondary school. These streams were a meeting place for the people living there. Today the biggest parts of the streams are floating in pipes. What did really happen, and what can we find in these areas today?

Kjørkebekken started in small bog areas between Baneveien (Skoleveien) and Lindstrømstjønna that were placed in the area which is called Festplassen today. Parts of the stream were early led into pipes. From the bog the stream ran for quite a long distance along the road before it crossed the fields inside the old schoolarea, were the judo club and the scouts from KFUK are based today. From here it went further along the church brick wall, over the fields until it turned and went out in the river just next to Venneslaheimen. The rest of Kjørkebekken was led in pipes in the summer of 1951. Before this it was possible to fish trout here. In those days people sometimes arrived church drunk, and fell into the water when they were crossing the flagstones in the church gate.

Aurabekken is the result of a merger between two smaller streams. One of the streams goes down Espedalen from the wood above Måneglytt. The other stream comes from the area within Kolemyr, and goes down Himmelkleiva. The two streams are united right behind the junior high school. Today the streams are floating in pipes all the way from the school to the river, named Otra, in the so-called eastern outlet, next to Kaninøya, besides Moseidmoenbroa.

Aurabekken was in its time a popular meeting spot for the children. The children could go swimming, fishing and attend other activities in the area around and in the stream. Earlier they thought that the name Aurabekken came from the fact that it was a lot of trout, called aure by the locals, in the stream. This is wrong. The stream got its name because of the fact that earlier the bottom was covered by shingle which was very comfortable to wade on.

Treskerenna was a launcher from Aurabekken made by human hands. It was launched away in the vicinity of Espedalen behind the junior high school. The chute walks parallel with the cycle lane for some distance, and then passing a little south from Lindstrømtjønna. From here it passes the southern side of Linfjellet and besides the place where the rectory is today. At Vennesla primary school the chute was laid with bricks. The brick wall is still there. The intention of the diversion of the water was to lead it down to the farm that still lies just north of the church.