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Bressay, Grindiscol, Will Houll
Burnt Mound (Prehistoric)
Site Name Bressay, Grindiscol, Will Houll
Classification Burnt Mound (Prehistoric)
Alternative Name(s) Knowe Of Willwill
Canmore ID 1046
Site Number HU44SE 17
NGR HU 49295 40019
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1046
- Council Shetland Islands
- Parish Bressay
- Former Region Shetland Islands Area
- Former District Shetland
- Former County Shetland
HU44SE 17 4929 4002
(HU 493 400) Will Houll (OE)
OS 6" map, Shetland, 2nd ed., (1903).
The 'Knowe of Willwill' ( amended to 'Will Houll' on resubmission), has been opened up and several ancient relics taken from it.
Name Book 1878.
A mound of burnt stones, excavated c.1865 by James Hunt and George Petrie, Near the bottom were large stones set on edge to form a structure of some kind and an erect stone 2ft 8 ins high, 18 ins wide and 8 ins thick perforated by a whole 10 ins in diameter. The finds included at least one handled stone implement.
J Hunt 1866; A Mitchell 1870.
'Will Houll' or 'the Fairy Knowe' Much broken up by excavation, but originally it seems to have measured about 54ft in diameter by as much as 7ft 6 ins in greatest height.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 14 July 1930.
In a pasture field at HU 4929 4003 there is a turf-covered burnt mound, denuded by excavation, but surviving to a height of 2.3m. No finds have been made recently : the name 'Will Houll' is known locally.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB), 5 September 1964.
Field Visit (14 July 1930)
Will Houll, Grindiscol. About 100 yds N of Grindiscol and about midway between the public road and the W shore of the island of Bressay, on low-lying ground, is a mound of burnt stones known as ‘Will Houll’,or ‘The Fairy Knowe’. It is now very much broken up as the result of excavations carried out many years ago, but originally it seems to have measured about 54 ft in diameter by as much as 7 ft 6 in. in greatest height. A short record of the excavation has fortunately been preserved (Hunt 1866, 300). It is stated that, as the excavators approached the bottom, they came upon large stones, apparently placed in connection with some structure the design of which could not be traced. At the bottom they found a stone about 2 ft 8 in. high, 18 in. wide, and 8 in. thick, perforated in the upperpart by a hole about 10 in. in diameter. This stone was standing erect, and a passage appeared to lead to it.
RCAHMS 1946, visited 14 July 1930.
Field Visit (5 September 1964)
In a pasture field at HU 4929 4003 there is a turf-covered burnt mound, denuded by excavation, but surviving to a height of 2.3m. No finds have been made recently : the name 'Will Houll' is known locally.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB), 5 September 1964.
