Usserød Å, the principal drainage of
Sjælsø Lake. is a stream in
North Zealand
North Zealand, also North Sealand (), refers to the northeastern part of the Danish island of Zealand. The Danish tourist authorities have recently introduced the term Danish Riviera to cover the area in view of its increasing importance for to ...
to the north of
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. It is approximately 9 kilometres long, drops 18 metres and is joined by Donse Ã… before itself flowing into Nive Ã… on its way to the
Øresund
Øresund or Öresund (, ; ; ), commonly known in English as the Sound, is a strait which forms the Denmark–Sweden border, Danish–Swedish border, separating Zealand (Denmark) from Scania (Sweden). The strait has a length of ; its width var ...
at
Nivå
Nivå is a town with a population of 8,769 (1 January 2025)[Hørsholm
Hørsholm () is an urban area on the Øresund coast approximately north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers most of Hørsholm Municipality and straddles the borders neighbouring Fredensborg Municipality and Rudersdal Municipality.
Hørsholm proper ...](_blank)
. Several watermills and early industrial sites are located along its course, the largest being
Usserød Textile Mill.
Course
Usserød Å extends from the south side of
Sjælsø Lake. Its first part is heavily regulated and runs through the outskirts of
Birkerød
Birkerød () is a town in Rudersdal Municipality in the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is surrounded by several lakes and small woodlands. Birkerød station is located on the Nordbanen, Hillerød radial of the S-train suburban networ ...
, Eskemose Skov and the Istedrød area. It then passes under the
Helsingør Motorway
Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...
and continues through the protected Usserød Ådal (Usserød Valley) at Mortenstrup before entering a suburban neighbourhood just north of
Kokkedal station
Kokkedal Station is a railway station serving the suburb of Kokkedal on the east coast of North Zealand, north of central Copenhagen.
The station is located on the coast between Helsingør and Copenhagen. The train services are currently operate ...
. Usserød Å then passes the three
mill pond
A mill pond (or millpond) is a body of water used as a reservoir for a water-powered mill.
Description
Mill ponds were often created through the construction of a mill dam or weir (and mill stream) across a waterway.
In many places, the co ...
s Stanpedammen, Frederiksdam and Mølledammen before joining Nive Å at Nive Watermill.
History
The first watermills were built along the stream in the beginning of the 18th century.
Usserød Textile Mill was established in 1791. It was taken over by the state in 1802 and used for manufacturing textiles for military uniforms. Other watermills and industrial complexes along the stream include Stampen, Nyværk (demolished in 1925), Usserød Watermill, Brønsholmdal Factory and Nive Watermill.
Usserød Textile Factory Usserød Textile Factory (Danish language, Danish: Usserød Klædefabrik) is a listed, 19th-century industrial complex at Usserød Å in the Usserød district of Hørsholm, Denmark. It was from 1802 home to the Royal Military Textile Factory (Danish ...
File:Usserød Mølle 2.JPG, Usserød Watermill
File:Nive Mølle 4.JPG, Nive Watermill
See also
*
Mølleåen
Mølleåen, also Mølleå, sometimes translated as the Millstream, is a small river in North Zealand, Denmark, which runs from the west of Bastrup Sø near Lynge to the Øresund between Taarbæk and Skodsborg. The valley contains several coun ...
References
External links
Rudersdal Municipality
Hørsholm Municipality
Rivers of Zealand
{{Denmark-river-stub