The Child Wanders Trail - Norway

Together with a friend I started to walk the 136 kilometer Child Wanders Trail a couple of years ago. This is a historical trail based on real events. During the period 1830 - 1910, large groups of children as young as 7 years old went on a journey every year from their homes in the west to the large farms east of Kristiansand to work. These work journeys are called children's migrations. The children started walking in April, often in larger groups, and walked the same way back in November. The reason for the children's walks is the extreme poverty in the western part of Agder County. Many families had to send their children to the large farms in the east to earn a little money. Surviving was a struggle.

Høye

Starting point of section 4, part 2

There are several alternative routes, but the most important one is the one that runs from Kvinesdal in the west to Grimstad in the east. The total length is 136 kilometers, divided into 7 stages and marked with signs or a blue marks on poles or rocks. My friend and I completed the second half of section 4 in the beginning of August. We started where we ended - Høye. We had walked approx. 10-11 kilometers (1/3) – Laudal to Nodeland (31 kilometers). This meant we had to be prepared for a 20 kilometer hike. The trail took us through forests, passed lakes, moores and farmland. It was a sunny day, but not too hot.

Before we started, we studiet both a map and read a desription of the trail. The start was a steep 1 kilometer hike up an old timber road. But then it got more flat. Once we were out of the forest, we passed the information board about the Child Wanderes Trail. On the map above you can see where excactly we were standing. We started in Kvinnesdal a some years ago and have desided we have to complete the whole trail.

Then we reached the paved road and followed it and crosses the railway track in an underpass. Then we once again are leaded away from the road and going in the direction to Birkeland. Here we lost sight of the signs, but instead of returning back, we checked our app for an alternative route to reach the Birkelandsvannet. That became a strenous walk at times.

The history behind the Child Wanders

The child migration in southern Norway was a phenomenon from the 19th century in a part of the country where poverty was extreeme. The causes of poverty have been explained by a strong population growth, small farms and challenges with crops, which were becoming smaller. Many families in Indre Agder (a county in the very south) sent several of their children to the area around and east of Kristiansand. Here they worked on farms that were both larger and more prosperous. The children started to migrate east in April. In October / November they walked back home again. The youngest of the children were no more than 7 years old. They walked in groups people and could walk up to 20 kilometers in a day. On the farms they came to, they worked with everything from cooking to barn management and herding.

Much of the path goes through forests, moors and river crossings. The terrain was sometimes quite strenuous. That's when we thought of the small children who have walked here. How hard it must have been.

At last we reach the Birkelandsvannet and from now we follow the paved road to Tronstad and through the Greipstaddalen. It is mostly downhill, but walking on the paved road was quite hard on our legs and backs. At the time the children walked here there were no paved road.

The children who walked the trail were gathered by an agent at certain meeting points along the trail. There is written information telling the age and where they came from. In this way we also know who came to frams where they were well treated. Some came to farms where they were maltreated. The work on the farms was either cooking, herding or barn work. It was hard work for young children. This phenomenon of child migration started to decline towards the 20th century and totally ended completely in 1910. An emigration to America had begun. It wasn't necessary anymore.

Finally we reached the finish line after almost 25 kilometers! This is Greipstad Church in Nodeland. We sat down to rest our tired legs and filled our water bottles. But but satisfied that we have completed another section in the footsteps of the child wanders.