Martorpsfallet

Waterfall in a beautiful environment

The amount of water is at its highest level during springtime and the water gushes down the limestone cleft. The fall can be completely dried out during dry summer months and then the drainage mainly goes on underground through cracks in the bedrock.

The best way to see the waterfall and rock formations is to walk down the cleft and watch it from beneath. About 9000 years ago when the inland ice was melting the sea reached this level for some time. The waves hollowed out caves where the limestone was softer. Formations of harder material remained. These remind us of similar formations (raukar) that can be seen on Öland and Gotland. The limestone bed is full of orthoceratites and other petrified animals (fossils) that lived in the sea millions of years ago.

The path to the waterfall crosses overgrown pastureland. Today there is a forest with many different kinds of bushes and trees. The Early Purple Orchid that grows in soil rich in lime can be found in small glades in the forest. There are mainly big elms that grow in the limestone cleft at the waterfall. If you are fortunate you may possibly see a dipper in the gushing water.

There was a mill close to Martorpsfallen already when Carl von Linné travelled in Västergötland in 1746. Remains of the pond and the walls of the mill can be seen just above the cleft. A lot of cottages and crofts were built during the 19th century alongside the cleft at Martorp. Today there are only a few overgrown remains left.