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St Kilda, Hirta, Village Bay, Cleits 122 And 123
Cellular Building (Medieval)(Possible), Cleit (Modern)
Site Name St Kilda, Hirta, Village Bay, Cleits 122 And 123
Classification Cellular Building (Medieval)(Possible), Cleit (Modern)
Canmore ID 9677
Site Number NF19NW 21.18
NGR NF 09929 99503
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/9677
- Council Western Isles
- Parish Harris
- Former Region Western Isles Islands Area
- Former District Western Isles
- Former County Inverness-shire
Publication Account (1988)
NF19NW 21.18 09929 99503
(Cleit 122 NF 09929 99503; Cleit 123 NF 09931 99507)
Cleit 122, which lies well outside the head dyke to the NW of the burial-ground, is the only building in the village area with an intact attached cell (123), the smaller cell being linked by a low level passage in the NE sector of the parent structure.
The outer walls of Cleit 122 are battered and buttressed on the S side. The doorway is at the W end and has a slight outward splay with groups of stones on each side. For a cleit the entrance is tall (1.47m) and the interior roomy; it is 3.35m long, 2.21m wide, and the corbelled walls are lintelled at a height of 2.69m above the floor. A later wall has been built against the inner face of the E end-wall and the original internal length of the building is likely to have been about 4.25m.
In the NE corner a low lintelled passage about 0.43m high, 0.53m wide, and 1.12m long gives access to the adjacent subcircular cell. This cell, which measures 2.18m in maximum diameter, is of corbelled construction, and rises to a height of 1.55m above the existing floor-level, Above the entrance there is a small opening 0.41m square, possibly a window and not merely the result of dilapidation.
G P Stell and M Harman 1988.
Conservation (2001)
NF 101 991 (centre) As part of the Management Agreement with Historic Scotland, the monuments within Village Bay were recorded and monitored, and certain cleits, dykes and enclosures were repaired in 2001 under supervision by members of the two volunteer work parties. Detailed work included the completion of the identification of around 300 cleits for active management, and the production of a report on cleit preservation, as well as rapid assessments of coastal erosion and the deposition of builders' debris within some of the roofless structures along the village street.
Report to be deposited in the NMRS.
Photographic Survey (2002)
NF 101 991 (centre) As part of the Management Agreement with Historic Scotland, the monuments within Village Bay were recorded and monitored, and certain cleits, dykes, drains and enclosures were repaired under supervision by members of the volunteer work parties which went out to St Kilda in 2002.
A photographic survey of the coastline in Village Bay was carried out and compared to images taken in 1999. The survey indicated erosion along the NE side of the bay. Two sherds of hand-made pottery were recovered and a layer of burning noted in an exposed section.
The annual monitoring of cleits across the island was carried out and the photographic survey of them continued.
Report to be deposited in the NMRS.
Sponsors: HS, NTS.
S Bain 2002
