Papa Stronsay, St Brides Chapel

HY62NE 15 6664 2916

For font at HY 6662 2927, see HY62NE 41.

(HY 6664 2916) St Bride's Chapel (NR)

(Site of) (NAT)

OS 6" map, Orkney, 2nd ed., (1900).

'St Bride's Chapel and Quire, now in ruins, are nearly of the same dimensions as those of St Nicholas's (HY62NE 14) i.e. nave 15' by 12', chancel 7' by 9'.

OSA 1795; RCAHMS 1946, visited 15 June 1928.

No trace; but the tradition of a chapel here is still known locally.

Visited by OS (AA) 16 July 1970.

The traditional site, occupied by a shed during the earlier part of this century, is immediately in front of the farmhouse.

RCAHMS 1984, visited July 1979.

HY 6665 2918. Building; 12.85 x 3.55m inside walls 0.6m wide and up to 1.65m high. Aligned NW-SE, located on E side of farmhouse. Traces of earlier foundation at NW end of building. Small-scale evaluation trench across the interior of the building, below the stone floor, revealed fragmentary wall line of a building aligned E-W. Abutted by levelled spread of midden material, up to 0.6m deep, from which two fragments of steatite were recovered.

Sponsors: Historic Scotland, Arts & Humanities Research Board, University of Birmingham, Hunter Archaeological Trust, Orkney Islands Council, Russell Trust, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

C E Lowe, S Buteux and J Hunter 2000.