Description

The monument comprises the remains of a prehistoric promontory fort, situated on a cliffed promontory on the SW coast of Papa Stour, between Gorsendi Geo and Clingri Geo.

The remains of the fort take the form of a ruined stone wall cutting across the neck of a promontory. The wall has been reduced to a low mound some 5m wide by 6m long. In the centre of the wall traces of a narrow entrance passage, lined with larger stones, can be seen. This is about 0.9m wide. The area enclosed is grass-covered and slopes to the SE. There are two oval hollows on its SE side which may represent the ruins of former buildings.

Outside the defended area, some 22m to the ENE, is a large circular mound, apparently mainly of turf, which may conceal associated archaeological remains, and which gives the monument its name (tuo=mound, fiel=turf). The fort is probably of middle or later Iron Age date, from the period 200 BC to AD 400.

The area to be scheduled consists of the entire promontory down to high-water mark together with a small area to the E, to include the fort, the turf mound and an area around in which associated remains may survive. It is irregular on plan, measures a maximum of 140m ENE-WSW by 60m transversely, and is indicated in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a simple fort of later prehistoric date which lies at the minimum end of the spectrum of such fortified sites. It is not impossible that it had Early Christian eremitic use. The fort and its associated mound have the potential to provide important information about late prehistoric and subsequent settlement and economy.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland