South Ronaldsay, Stews
Standing Stone (Prehistoric)
Site Name South Ronaldsay, Stews
Classification Standing Stone (Prehistoric)
Canmore ID 9516
Site Number ND48NE 1
NGR ND 4656 8900
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9516
- Council Orkney Islands
- Parish South Ronaldsay
- Former Region Orkney Islands Area
- Former District Orkney
- Former County Orkney
ND48NE 1 4656 8900
(ND 4656 8900) Standing Stone (NR)
OS 6" map (1900)
Situated on a ridge is a triangular block of red sandstone nearly 6ft high, set with a packing of small stones at the base and oriented N-S. It is 2ft 6in wide at its base and is from 12 - 13 ins thick. As it rises it tapers to a point slightly inclined towards the W.
Low mentions that he saw here "the remains of a triangular monument but very much defaced, and two of the stones broke to the stumps" giving an illustration to show their relative positions.
G Low 1879; RCAHMS 1946, visited 1929.
A standing stone at ND 4655 8900, as described by RCAHMS. It has been ploughed around and there are no traces of the stumps seen by Low.
The "roughly rectangular slightly raised area measuring 12.0m E-W and 6.0m N-S" could be the site of the chapel described in ND48NE 3.
Visited by OS (IMT), 4 May 1973.
Orkney Smr Note
In this beautiful hollow in a cornfield saw a large erected stone about 16ft above ground, probably monumental, thou' tradition is silent about it, and by digging nothing was found that could with certainty prove this. Low 1774 pp25-26
On aridge barely a quarter of a mile S of the farmhouse of Stews is a triangular block of red sandstone nearly 6 ft high, set with a packing of small stones at the base and with its axis N-S. At the bottom where it is widest it measures 2ft 6in across and is from 12-13in thick. As it rises it tapers gradually to a pointed top, which is slightly inclined towards the W. Low mentions that he saw here the remains of a triangular monument but very much defaced and two of the stones broke tothe stumps, giving an illustration to show their relative positions. RCAMS 1946 p287
As descibed, ploughed around, no trace of stumps seen by Low. O.S. May 1973
Information from Orkney SMR [n.d.]
