hovedgård

Hovedgård is a term used in Danish and Norwegian to denote the main farm or the principal estate within a larger agricultural holding. It derives from hoved (head, main) and gård (farm, yard). The hovedgård functioned as the administrative and economic center of an estate, with subordinate farms or sidegårder worked under tenancy or sharecropping. The manor house or main building was typically located at the core, surrounded by outbuildings, barns, stables, a courtyard, and often parkland or gardens. The estate system evolved from medieval feudal arrangements, with the hovedgård controlled by noble families, gentry, or landed proprietors, who owned the land and collected rents, dues, or produce from tenants.

Throughout the 17th–19th centuries, architectural forms varied, ranging from fortified manors to fashionable country houses, often reflecting prevailing styles in Denmark and Norway, such as baroque or neoclassical influences. The surrounding farms produced grain, livestock, and timber to sustain the estate and generate income.

In modern times, many hovedgårder survive as cultural heritage sites. Some have been preserved as museums, hotels, event venues, or private residences, sometimes protected by national heritage laws. The term remains in use in land registries and historical descriptions and is sometimes used as a place name, indicating the historic centre of an estate.

See also: herregård, gård, manor, estate.