Campston
Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Site Name Campston
Classification Broch (Iron Age)(Possible)
Canmore ID 3040
Site Number HY50SW 1
NGR HY 5288 0411
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/3040
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish St Andrews And Deerness
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
HY50SW 1 5288 0411.
(HY 5288 0411) Brough (NR) (Site of)
OS 6"map, Orkney, 2nd ed.,(1903).
Indeterminate Structure, Campston - Although nothing is now to be seen, Petrie in 1859 described a structure in the area as " a raised circular platform surrounded by a trench...in the centre are two stones, one of which appears formerly to have rested on the other The whole greatly resembles in general appearance the Ring of Bookan (G Petrie 1927) (HY21SE 7)
RCAHMS 1946, visited 7 August 1929
On a small knoll there are the greatly mutilated remains of a broch measuring 20m in diameter with an outer grass covered wall on the south side, 1.3m high. There are no traces of any stones, which were apparently removed to build the farm of Campston and the walls of the broch are now only grass covered banks. A farm road has completely destroyed the eastern side of the broch but there are breaks in the north and south walls, one of which may be an entrance.
Re-surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS(RD) 21 August 1964
At the head of a silted-up arm of the Bay of Suckquoy, the fram road to Venikelday passes across the E side of grass-covered mound concealing a broch. The presence of an outer bank, which is visible to a height of 1.3m on the S side, reminded Petrie of the Ring of Bookan, but the size of the central mound, some 20m across, and the situation, are stringly in favour of its identification as a broch within a ring-work.
G Petrie 1927; RCAHMS 1946; 1987 (OR 16), visited April 1979.
Orkney Smr Note (1979)
There is a raised circular platform surrounded by a trench near the farmhouse of Campston in the parish of St Andrews, and in the centre are 2 stones, one of which appears to have rested on the other. The whole greatly resembles in general appearance the Ring of Bookan. [R1]
RCAMS states that OS map marks a Brough at head of bay of Suckquoy. Fields here are under regular cultivation. [R2]
On a small knoll, mutilated remains of a broch 20m diameter with an outer grass covered wall on S side, 1.3m high. No trace of any stones. Broch walls are only grass covered banks. Farm road has completely destroyed E side of broch but there are breaks in N and S walls, one of which may be an entrance.
OS visit Aug 1964.
As described by OS.
Information from Orkney SMR (RGL) Apr 1979
Publication Account (2002)
HY50 2 CAMPSTON ('Venikelday')
HY/52880411
Possible broch inside a grass-covered mound on low ground, near the head of the Bay of Suckquoy in Holm. The Commission saw nothing [3] but in 1859 Petrie described a raised circular platform surrounded by a trench [2]. A 1964 report describes the greatly mutilated remains of a broch on a small knoll, with an outer grass-covered wall on the south side [1] while in 1979 an outer bank was noted [3].
Sources: 1. OS card HY 50 SW 1: 2. Petrie 1927, 28: 3. RCAHMS 1946, 2, no. 648, 247: 3. Lamb 1987, 24.
E W MacKie 2002
