Fortification Canal (the Moat)
Marker 7.
Lyngby
Fortification Canal (the Moat)Marker 7. |
Lyngby
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The Fortification Canal was dug out in 1887-88 as part of Copenhagen's defences that ran from Furesøen through Lyngby to Ermelunden. There was water in the canal until 1920 and it was deeper than now. A large sewer pipe is now covered over in the bottom of the former canal.Should Sealand have been invaded by enemy troops, some of Furesøen's water would be led through the canal so the large low-lying areas along the south side of Dyrehaven to Øresund would be inundated. There would also be flooding from Ermelunden to Gentofte Lake and onwards to Utterslev Mose and the moat in front of Vestvolden. The flooded areas would bar the way to Copenhagen and could be defended by a series of forts and batteries.
There was a series of weirs and dams that would keep the water from running into Øresund. The weirs were in Frederiksdal, Lyngby and at Ermelunden. The weir in Frederiksdal is still in use. The weir in Lyngby lowered the water 2 metres and was at Lyngby Hovedgade (High Street) where the canal now ends.
water level was the same all the way from the weir in Lyngby to Ermelunden, where there was another weir under Ermelundsvej's bridge over the canal. The water level was maintained even in peacetime and there were a number of bridges over the canal. The first one after Lyngby Hovedgade was the Pall-Bearer Bridge ("Ligbærerbroen") that connected the church and Lyngby Supplementary Cemetery across the canal, so funeral procession with coffins could pass. It has now been replaced by two stairs.
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TheLyngby Supplementary Cemetery was opened in 1851 as there was no longer room in the old cemetery around Lyngby Church. Lyngby parish then included the whole of the current Lyngby-Taarbæk municipality and all citizens that died had to be buried in Lyngby. Lyngby Supplementary Cemetery is no longer sufficient, so Sorgenfri Cemetery was opened in 1902. Burials no longer take place in Lyngby Supplementary Cemetery.