Description

The monument comprises a church of medieval date and a settlement of post medieval date with possible earlier origins. It is in the care of the Secretary of State for Scotland and is being re-scheduled to clarify the extent of the protected area.

The monument lies on the SW slope of the island of Eynhallow, at around 10m OD. It comprises a roofless 12th-century church measuring about 21m WNW-ESE by about 7m transversely. The church, which was reconstructed as a dwelling house in the 16th century, consists of a rectangular nave with a porch at its W end and a square-ended chancel at the E end. Very little of the original stonework of the nave survives.

The church is surrounded to the SW by a settlement of 16th-century date, consisting of at least four houses abutting each other. These houses appear to incorporate earlier structures, possibly monastic buildings associated with the church; such a monastic complex would be comparable to other Norwegian examples of the 12th century. The settlement measures about 30m N-S by about 30m E-W overall.

Although it has been suggested that Eynhallow was the abbey over which Abbot Laurence of Melrose (quondam abbas in Orcadia) had presided before his election in 1175, there is no specific reason to associate him with this particular site. The monastery, if such there was, had evidently ceased to exist by the 16th century, though the church is mentioned in 1588.

The building went unrecognized until 1851, when the inhabitants were cleared from the island and the buildings were unroofed. They were subsequently studied by T.S. Muir and Sir Henry Dryden; and in 1897 they were cleared out and examined further by Professor T. Lethaby. In 1911 they were placed in the guardianship of the Office of Works.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related material may be expected to be found. It is square, measuring 100m NNE-SSW by 100m WNW-ESE, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because of what it contributes and, through archaeological excavation, has the potential to contribute to our understanding of medieval ecclesiastical architecture and material culture. The later phase of the complex also shed important light on post-medieval rural settlement and late 19th and early 20th century attitudes towards the care of historic ruins. The importance of the site is reflected in its status as a Property in Care.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HY 32 NE 2.

Bibliography:

Ashmore, P. (ed.) (1995) The ancient monuments of Orkney. HMSO: Edinburgh.

Cross, M. (1994) Bibliography of Monuments in the Care of the Secretary of State for Scotland, 289-90.

RCAHMS (1946) Twelfth Report with an Inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Orkney and Shetland, vol. II. Inventory of Orkney, 230-4, no. 613. HMSO; Edinburgh.
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Eynhallow Church
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Source: Historic Environment Scotland