Old shelter restoration
Bjarki Bjarnason, author of Iceland Touring Association's yearbook 2019, writes here about the restoration of the old shelter building on the heath between Reykjavík and Þingvellir, Mosfellsheiði.
Around 1890, a surfaced road was laid from Geitháls in the outskirts of the capital area across Mosfellsheiði to Þingvellir. About 100 cairns were erected at the road, which was used quit a bit by people walking and riding in all kinds of weather.
The road was also used for horse-drawn carriages and cars after the age of the automobile arrived in Iceland. The first car drove from Reykjavík to Þingvellir 1913. On the high heath, a shelter was built close to the road from grey stone, 7x4 meters in size.
Horses by the shelter that waits restoration.
Bjarki Bjarnason
Before the festival in 1930, where Icelanders celebrated 1000 years of parliament, a new road was laid east to Þingvellir. That road follows similar route as to were the main road runs today. Traffic on the older road was then greatly reduced and it gradually was called the old road.
The previously mentioned shelter was therefor seldom used. Travellers were able to go more quickly over the heath and no use to stop by small shelter when a warm room waited for you at hotel Valhöll or other guesthouse near Þingvellir.
All maintenance of the shelter went in to disarray and the building fell prey to time and weather and finally collapsed under its own weight.
The red dot shows the shelter´s location but it is quite far from the now main road today.
Ævar Aðalsteinsson og Unnsteinn Elíasson work hard to repair the shelter.
Bjarki Bjarnason
The Iceland Touring Association's yearbook on Mosfellsheiði was published in 2019. In that yearbook the shelter remains are mention. Therefor a discussion started the possibility to reconstruct the shelter, which has great architectural historical value. Iceland Touring Association took the lead and the project has received funding from the House Consvervation Fund, and Bjarki Bjarnason is the project manager of the reconstruction.
Páll Guðmundsson director of Iceland Touring Association takes a look on the restoration project.
Sigurður Bogi Sævarsson
Most of the accompanying photographs were taken in 2023 and show the restoration workwith the stone. The construction masters are Ævar Aðalsteinsson, Örvar Aðalsteinsson and Unnsteinn Elíasson.
In the summer of 2024, the plan is to complete the reconstruction with a roof, door and windows.
Ævar Aðalsteinsson og Unnsteinn Elíasson have to work a lot with only their hands though some of the work can be done with machines.
Bjarki Bjarnason
About 100 cairns were raised on the ancient route to Þingvellir. Many of them are still standing, while others have fallen. Guards were a major security factor for travellers on foot and on horseback.
Torfi Stefán Jónsson