Just north of the highway between Odder and Horsens about 1 km west of the Åkær valley, you will find the small castle mound of Kærsgaard. In the wooded dip you can make out a foursided embankment with abrupt sides and a straight top as well as a sense of the surrounding mounds in the terrain.
The mounds to the west and north are 10 m wide, the south is of similar length but is cut short by the road.
The eastern embankment, now completely destroyed and levelled, was the site of the castle´s houses and the farm buildings. Only very weak contours outline where this shallower end of the stronghold was located due to the area having been farmed for many years.
When excavating on the 3,5 m high embankment a wooden tower destroyed by fire was found. In the basement of the tower a pair of handcuffs, some ceramics and a well preserved hammer was found.
The fall of the castle did not go without a fight as evident by the 30 crossbow arrows found on the site. The tower was destroyed by fire and was never rebuilt. The findings of coins point to the year of the assault as 1332.
From what we can tell the castle ia a predecessor to present day Åkjær Manor.
Free access to the castle mounds, parking by the side of the road.
