Grådö skans, building in Sweden

Grådö skans is a fortified farm on a peninsula at Grådö in Hedemora, Dalarna, where the Dalälven river meets the Badelunda ridge. It has three plateaus cut by moats up to seven metres deep: the dwelling on the south-eastern plateau, stores on the north-western, and stables and a forge on the eastern one.

The farm was built in the mid-14th century at the crossing of the Dalälven river and the Badelunda ridge, and burned down later that century. It was rebuilt with a more military character, possibly after a battle in Dalarna mentioned in Raven van Barnekow's accounts for 1366. A second fire at the end of the 14th century, likely during the conflict between Queen Margaret and Albrekt of Mecklenburg, ended its use.

The site lies on the Grådönäset peninsula where Dalälven meets the Badelundaåsen ridge, near Grådö in Hedemora municipality. Riksväg 70 was routed across the peninsula and cuts through the eastern part of the fort, so the eastern plateau with the stable and forge is partly lost. The three plateaus are divided by moats up to seven metres deep; mind the edges.

The walls were built from clay and other materials to resemble stone, and excavations in the 1960s revealed that buildings were covered with clay for weather protection, an unusual building method for the region at that time. These construction techniques show the resourcefulness of medieval builders working with local materials.