Røynevarden lies on a hillside above Lake Suldal with a great view over to Bråtveit and the Suldal Moors. Its use as a cottar’s farm can be dated to about 1895.

BUILDINGS
The oldest dwelling house, the chimneyless “smoke-house” (“rotastova” in the local dialect) was probably built in the 1820s. People lived here right up to 1893, but as the family grew, the older children slept in the sheep-barn loft.

FARMING LIFE
Everything about Røynevarden seems a bit small, but it was still one of the best cottar’s farms in Suldal. Two cows, five goats and some sheep were usually raised here. Potatoes were grown for their own use and grain was sown in the many small fields. Hay was cut and stored in the hillsides and on the moors.

There are six buildings in all at Røynevarden: two dwelling houses, a barn, a sheep barn, a goat shed and a summer kitchen.

The farm became an independent holding in 1915 but was abandoned in 1946.

RESTORATION WORK
Ryfylkemuseet carried out extensive restoration work on Røynevarden’s buildings. A reconstruction of the barn was completed in 2013.

The barn project was an important learning opportunity for the museum’s building team. As the process developed, we arranged several courses for teaching about the building methods. Great emphasis has been placed on copying the materials used in the old barn and in using traditional expertise in the work. The cow barn was reconstructed according to information found in old photographs, and from traces and marks in the soil and on the barn wall next door.

EXHIBITION
There is a modest little exhibition in one end of the barn about the farm and the people who once lived at Røynevarden.

ARRIVING HERE
Røynevarden lies along state road Rv 13 between Suldalsosen and Nesflaten. A path about 200 m long leads up from the road. Bring sandwiches and enjoy the nice view of Lake Suldal while eating your lunch.