Meldal Parsonage

Meldal Rectory, also known as Grøtte, is a complete rectory farm. The farm is run by a tenant and is in full operation. The rectory was moved to its current location in the mid-1700s.

Meldal Rectory was known as a cultural center with strong, influential priests. During Jacob von der Lippe Parelius’s time as dean (1793–1818), the farm was expanded into a magnificent estate with a pavilion, a Baroque garden, and avenues. He was the one who taught the people of Meldal to grow potatoes and even built the country’s first potato storage.

In front of the storage lies the ‘Brurasteinen’ (Bride’s Stone), where the bride, arriving on horseback, would dismount to continue into the bridal chamber to prepare herself before the wedding. The pavilion’s weather vane from 1795 was moved from the garden wall east of the main building and has been restored as far as possible. The old buildings in the rectory courtyard each have their own history and testify to the important role that official estates played in the past. Until the mid-1800s, the rectory was the only public building in the village besides the church. The farm is large and owned by the Church Endowment (Opplysningsvesenets fond).

Today, the rectory garden is maintained by volunteers from Meldal. It is open to the public, and visitors are welcome to go inside and explore. It is a lovely place to enjoy a packed lunch.