Tungelsta: Garden City with a History

Tungelsta is a garden city with small-scale development, older greenhouses and a garden park that tells the story of the area. Commercial horticulture has shaped Tungelsta since 1908. The railway, church architecture and landscape add further distinctive aspects to this historical profile of the area.

Horticulture and Change

Commercial horticulture in Tungelsta was at its most prominent between 1940 and 1960. At the time, there were 94 greenhouse businesses and 16 open-field crops there. These two figures document different types of cultivation during this period. Agriculture has always shaped Tungelsta; during industrialisation, the character of the area changed. Thus, its general agricultural character and the particularly strong focus on commercial horticulture stand alongside one another as two aspects of its history.

Railway and Architectural History

The Nynäsbanan railway between Stockholm and Nynäshamn was inaugurated in 1901, with a station in Tungelsta. Ferdinand Boberg designed Tungelsta station house, as well as all the station houses along the Nynäsbanan. The railway’s inauguration in 1901 and the church’s construction in 1973 mark different points in the area’s history.

Tungelsta kyrka was built in 1973 to designs by architect Rolf Bergh. Its floor plan is square, with bevelled corners to the south and north. The church can thus be identified by three specific features: its year of construction, architect and basic shape.

Landscape and Garden Park

Tungelstabygden lies in a broad, gently undulating valley that runs from southwest to northeast. The lower-lying parts of Tungelstabygden are shaped by glacial and post-glacial sediments and today consist mainly of arable and pasture land. The landscape can be described by two distinct features: the shape and direction of the valley, and the use of its lower-lying areas. The technical terms distinguish deposits from the Ice Age from those formed afterward, making it easier to determine the age of the underlying landscape.

Tungelsta trädgårdspark features a reconstructed greenhouse and a horticultural museum with a function room. The themed playground is inspired by Tungelsta’s history of commercial gardens, laundries and drying sheds. Children can play in Cykel-Pelles verkstad, where there is a car from the 1930s. The excursion playground is near Tungelsta commuter station. The park thus brings together the history of horticulture and a playground design with a local historical connection.

The Rocklösaån winds through the garden park. It has been restored to a more natural state so that trout can find suitable conditions in which to live and spawn. Alongside its themes relating to garden history, the park therefore also includes a restored watercourse with a specific purpose for trout.

Tungelsta Ridklubb is a riding school in central Tungelsta; buses and commuter trains are within walking distance.

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