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 This well vegetated
and beautiful valley is a short distance to the west of the village
Holmavik. Lake
Thidriksvallavatn has an area of 1,45 km², is 47 m deep and lies 73 m
above sea level. It is a
reservoir for the Thvera Power Station and its level fluctuates (6m).
Two abandoned farms are at the western end of the lake (Thidriksvellir
and Vatnshorn). The
discharge of the lake, River Thvera, empties into the Steingrimsfiord
Bay and the power station is on the property of the abandoned farm
Skeljavik. A relatively
good road lies to the lake and 4wd vehicles can drive all the way to the
abandoned farms. The lake
abounds in lake char and brown trout, caught mainly with flies and
spinners. Tradition has it,
that reverse finned fishes and a monster occupy the lake as well.
The surroundings are peaceful and relaxing and the valley offers
an excellent berry picking
area during autumn (fall). Three rocky mounds, Smidjuhusaborg, Tittlingsborg and
Storaborg, decorate the landscape south of the lake and in front of them
is still another one, Hesturinn (The Horse), which looks like a horse
with a rider from the old farm sites.
FARM
THIDRIKSVELLIR
The
abandoned farm Thidriksvellir is situated on the southwest corner of the
lake.
According to some
legends, Steingrimur trolli, the first settler, built the original farm
there for his workers, who were to watch over his bulls.
The farm was named after one of them and several topographical
names remind us of his bulls, such as Nautahjalli (The Bulls’ Ledge),
and Nautadalur (The Bulls’ Valley).
The land register of 1709 mentions the outlying farm Smidjuhus,
which probably was abandoned after the middle of the 18th
century. Ruins of houses
were also discovered at Grimseyrar near the edge of the gorge Grimsgil.
The construction of the Thvera Power Station caused the rise of
the lake’s water level and the flooding of the greatest part of the
fields of the farm and a part of the road.
VATNSHORN
The
abandoned farm Vatnshorn is situated in the slopes on the northwestern
side of Lake Thidriksvallavatn separated from the Thidriksvellir
property by River Thidriksvallaa.
A
myth tells us about a ghost, which followed the farm’s family.
This ghost, Pjakkur, was wicked and was seen by clairvoyant and
common people. It carried a
large wooden stick with a pointed iron end and always struck it down in
front of it when travelling and made a sound similar to striking ice. Whenever this sound was heard, people knew, that someone of
the Vatnshorn family was nearby. The
land registry of 1709 mentions the outlying farm Skerpingsstadir on the
Vatnshorn property, and the ruins, which were still obvious at the time.
The farm Vatnshorn was abandoned in 1951, shortly before the
power station started operating.
Holmavik |
