Archaeology Notes

Event ID 646589

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/646589

HY53SE 1 5680 3287

(HY 5680 3287) Chapel (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map, 1900

The site of the former parish church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Probably 14th C,it consisted of nave and chancel, with a bell-tower, it was reckoned by Neale to have been 'the gem of the parish churches of the Orkneys' and far superior to the others in style. It presumably continued in use until 1816 when its successor, now in ruins was built. The burial-ground contains two early 17thC tombstones and a considerably older whinstone slab broken into six pieces, and incomplete, but bearing a deeply incised cross with a quadrate centre and expanded terminals. The base of the slab is missing but it has tapered upwards to a height of 4' 2", where it is 1'4" in breadth.

Statistical Account (OSA) 1795; J M Neale 1848; RCAHMS 1946, visited 1928 and 1935.

No trace of St. Mary's church. The burial ground has been enlarged and is still in use.

The cross incised slab could not be located.

Visited by OS (RL) 24 July 1970.

Neale wrote enthusiastically of the ruinous parish church of Eday, a rare Orcadian example of 'First-Pointed' style, with a chancel vaulted in two bays and a bell-tower. There is now no trace of it, although some large freestone blocks (none visibly carrying mouldings) built into the dyke around the burial-ground, probably came from it.

An incised cross-slab, apparently early in date, reported by RCAHMS, has been mislaid.

RCAHMS 1984, visited May 1983.