9082

ÞVERÁ (Tributary River), Öxarfjörður (Axe Fjord district)

Current occupants: Benedikt Kristjánsson and Erla Ingólfsdóttir

The farm was listed amongst the highest rated farms in Iceland for the production year 2014 by Rannsóknamiðstöð landbúnaðarins (The Agricultural Research Centre).

The farmers at ÞVERÁ participate in the following national initiatives and projects:

• Quality managed sheep farming (Gæðastýrð sauðfjárræktun)

• Farmers cultivate the land (Bændur græða landið)

• Reclamation under the auspices of the Land-remidy fund (Uppgræðsla á vegum Landabótasjóðs)

Erla and Benedikt have pursued farming at ÞVERÁ (Tributary River) since 1982.

The residence houses and outhouses at ÞVERÁ are situated on the south edge of the valley of ÞVERÁRDALUR (Tributary River Valley), a short distance east of the district highway road 85. South of the farmhouses the hayfields run uninterrupted. A small groundwater river runs along the valley and here a hydroelectric power plant was built, providing electricity for the farm. A spring uppermost in the vally provides drinking water to the farm and adjacent farms.

The whole tract of land within the mountain circle is called HRINGUR (Circle) and mostly belongs to ÞVERÁ. The landmark boundaries in the south are marked by a cairn in VÖRÐUHÓLL (Cairn Hillock) which is situated only a short distance from the old gravel mountain road crossing the heath of ÖXARFJARÐARHEIÐI (Axe Fjord Heath).

ÞVERÁ holds large grazing fields, stretching all the way to the district borderline at HRAUNHORN (Lava Horn) south-west of the old refuge hut that is situated approximately midways crossing the heath of ÖXARFJARÐARHEIÐI (Axe Fjord Heath). The tract of land on the other side of river BRUNNÁ (Well River), the area of land between the current and previous river beds of river BRUNNÁ also belongs to ÞVERÁ. The previous river bed of the river is believed to date back to the settlement over thousand years ago.

Numerous summercottages have been built in the valley up alongside river ÞVERÁ. The valley is situated outside beaten tracks and nicely grown with birch and therefore offers the desirable peace and quite as well as the calm weather many urban citizens desire..