Brunlanes

Former municipality in Vestfold, Norway

Brunlanes is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1988. The area is now the southwestern part of Larvik Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Tanum. Other villages in Brunlanes include Kjose, Nevlunghavn, Vardåsen, and Helgeroa. Some of the best agricultural land in Vestfold County is found in Brunlanes, and farming is the main industry with considerable vegetable and grain cultivation. Brunlanes is particularly known for its strawberry cultivation. Brunlanes is also known for forestry and wood processing industry. A large moraine runs into the ocean in the far southwestern part of Brunlanes.

The parish of Brunlagnæs (later spelled Brunlanes) was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). On 1 January 1875, a small area of Brunlanes (population: 4) was transferred to the town of Larvik. On 23 June 1883, an area of Brunlanes (population: 22) became part of Fredriksvern municipality after a border adjustment. In 1938, another area of Brunlanes (population: 28) became part of Fredriksvern municipality. In 1949, another area of Brunlanes (population: 13) became part of Stavern municipality. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee. On 1 January 1964, the Enigheten, Høyberg, and Skavåsen farms (population: 12) was transferred from Brunlanes to the newly enlarged neighboring municipality of Porsgrunn (this also caused them to switch from Vestfold to Telemark county). On 1 January 1969, an area of Brunlanes (population: 4) became part of Stavern municipality.

The coat of arms was approved on 29 August 1985. The official blazon was "Azure, twelve plates 3 4 5" (I blått tol sølv mynter). This means the arms have a blue field (background) and the charge is a set of twelve plates (circles) that are lined up in three rows (3 circles in the top row, f circles in the next row, and 5 circles in the bottom row). The circles have a tincture of argent which means they are commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field symbolized the importance of the sea and the small circles symbolised the typical round stones (made by glaciers), which can be found in huge quantities in the municipality. The arms were designed by Kjell Ronald Hansen. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.

The Church of Norway had three parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Brunlanes. It was part of the Larvik prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Tunsberg. Churches in BrunlanesPrestegjeldParish (sokn)Church nameLocation of the churchYear builtBrunlanesTanumTanum ChurchTanumc. 1100KjoseKjose ChurchKjose1850BergOld Berg ChurchBergc. 1100Berg ChurchBerg1878

The Old Berg Church was built of stone in ca. 1100. The old medieval church was partially demolished in 1882, after the "new" Berg Church had been built on the site in 1878. The remains of the walls were preserved and from 1965 to 1970, the church was restored partly with the original stone. The church has conservation status protected.

There are many historical relics in Brunlanes, including many burial mounds from the Iron Age and Bronze Age. The Old Berg Church at Berg, which was erected in the 1100s, is located in Brunlanes. The church fell into ruin by the 1960s, but it has been rebuilt and features a clear cut architecture with a red tilestone roof.

While it existed, this municipality was responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, unemployment, social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads. During its existence, this municipality was governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor was indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council.

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Brunlanes was made up of representatives that were elected to four year terms. The tables below show the historical composition of the council by political party.

The Brunlanes area has Vestfold’s longest coastal hiking trails. The main trail begins at the bay Ødegårdsbukta in the west and goes through Helgeroa on its way to Mølen Geopark. Along the trail are various beaches, campsites, and unique coastal landscapes. The trail from Mølen to Nevlunghavn is and passes by Nevlungstranda Nature Preserve. The trail continues from Nevlunghavn to Løvallodden and later Guslandsmarka. The last section of the trail leads from Gusland to the beach Nalumstranda in the innermost parts of the Naverfjorden. The trailhead is located at Hummerbakken Nature Preserve by the Hummerbakkfjord. The from Nalumstranda to Stavern leads through beaches, coastal landscapes, forests, and slopes of naked rocks on its way to Røvika. It also leads by the home of the artist Odd Nerdrum. There are panoramic views at Rakke of nearby areas such as Røvika in the west and Skagerak in the south. There are also remains of World War II fortifications here such as concrete gun pits. The trail ends at Fredriksvern Verft in Stavern, a former naval base with buildings dated to the 17th century.