Burness, Chapel Knowe
Chapel (Medieval)
Site Name Burness, Chapel Knowe
Classification Chapel (Medieval)
Canmore ID 1988
Site Number HY31NE 18
NGR HY 3883 1556
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/1988
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish Firth
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY31NE 18 3883 1556.
Chapel(site of)
O.S.6"map, Orkney, 2nd ed.,(1903).
Chapel Knowe, which stands in a field called Chapel Park represents the remains of a broch (HY31NE) but the name may indicate that a chapel stood there. No evidence of such was found when stones were removed in 1922.
H Marwick 1924; RCAHMS 1946. Visited 1928.
There is no local knowledge of a chapel although the names Chapel Knowe and Chapel Park are still in use. A much-disturbed stony area extends c.20m NW from the mound. It is flat-topped and shows vague indications of the outline of a possible building, which may have been the chapel.
Visited by OS(RL) 29 May 1966.
On the NW side of Chapel Knowe there is a straight wall, the line of which is continued by two big erect slabs disappearing under the shore dyke. The wall forms the edge of the platform which surrounds the mound. This is very probably the side of a chapel enclosure very similar to Peterkirk in St. Andrews (HY50SW 2). The two slabs underlying the dyke seem to be the inner face of the wall of which the stones forming the edge of the mound are the outer face. This gives a wall thickness of 0.4m.
R G Lamb. Visited July 1980
Orkney Smr Note (July 1980)
In 1922 the mound was dug into for stone for dyke-building,
and a curiously carved stone was found and reported to Dr Hugh
Marwick who visited the site and found it to be a broch, which he
considered must later have been the site of a chapel although
this was no longer apparent. A breach had been made in the W
side of the mound and a portion of inward-curving wall, probably
broch wall, exposed. The carved slab has crudely incised
markings, most obvious of which is a cloaked human figure. It
was immediately donated to the National Museum. [R1, R2]
Mound recently quarried on S & W sides where remains of
building exposed at two points. Enough visible to confirm
identification as a broch. Inner face of E wall visible for
height of 9ft and length of 14ft, with traces of a secondary
facing wall 2ft thick. Traces also of a scarcement on the
primary wall. Low down at S end of exposed wall are the lintel
stones of a narrow passage giving access to a small cell; there
is a recess or void above the lintel stones. The cell is
beehive-vaulted. Boars tusks, pottery, found, allegedly in the
cell. [R3]
Much mutilated turfed mound 20m N-S x 23m x 3m high, in
pasture field, with much debris and broch-like stones. Now no
other visible evidence of a broch. A great amount of stones,
forming thick walls, was removed a number of years ago, mostly by
Mr Stevenson, who also found the incised stone at 3881 1558 and
several socket stones still in his possession. A much-disturbed
stony area extends 20m NW from mound, it is flat-topped and shows
vague indications of building outline, possibly the chapel.
Field called Chapel Park, name Chapel Knowe current, but no
local knowledge of chapel.
Mr Stevenson, Farmer, Burness. OS visit May 66.
Unaltered since OS visit; a much-quarried mound, broch-sized
but featureless. The mound as defined by OS measurements rises
from a broad platform which extends some 25m both NW and SE from
mound centre and nearly as far NE (ie. inland). The edge of the
platform is quite distinct although on the NE and SE sides it is
probably created by farmer ploughing up to it. But on the NW
side there is a visible straight wall the line of which is
continued by two big erect slabs disappearing under the shore
dyke. This wall forms the edge of the platform and is very
probably the side of the chapel enclosure, it looks very like
Peterkirk in St Andrews (OR 21). The two slabs going under the
dyke seem to be the inside face of the wall of which the stones
forming the edge of the mound, are the outer face. This gives
the wall a thickness of 0.4m.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) Jul 80.