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Newgord, rectangular house and field system south east of Loch of Quoy, Unst

A Scheduled Monument in North Isles, Shetland Islands

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Coordinates

Latitude: 60.7355 / 60°44'7"N

Longitude: -0.9541 / 0°57'14"W

OS Eastings: 457140

OS Northings: 1206279

OS Grid: HP571062

Mapcode National: GBR R0ZC.KFH

Mapcode Global: XHF7B.0FCB

Entry Name: Newgord, rectangular house and field system SE of Loch of Quoy, Unst

Scheduled Date: 2 March 1998

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Source ID: SM7652

Schedule Class: Cultural

Category: Secular: house

Location: Unst

County: Shetland Islands

Electoral Ward: North Isles

Traditional County: Shetland

Description

The monument comprises the remains of a house of probable Viking or Norse-Medieval date, together with part of its associated field system.

The turf-covered wall footings of this house are situated on a gently sloping hillside. The house is located just NW of a modern fence junction and is aligned approximately N-S. There are no traces of entrances in the slightly-bowed side walls, but an internal cross-wall is quite clear, as is a subsidiary structure lying to the W. Internally the house measures some 20m by 4m. On all sides of the house except the N there are distinct traces of field walls from a field system long pre-dating the recent pattern.

The area to be scheduled is a square of side 50m, aligned NNW-SSE. The S corner of the area lies at a point measured 20m at right angles from the S side of each of the two modern fences which have their junction within the area to be scheduled. This area includes the house, outbuilding and the better-preserved parts of the early field walls as well as an area around these features in which traces of activity relating to their construction and use may survive. The area is marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The modern fences are excluded from scheduling to simplify maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a rare occurrence of a house of probable early Norse date identifiable on field characteristics, and has the added significance of an apparently contemporary field system. It gains additional importance as a member of a group of several such sites on the island of Unst. The important evidence regarding Norse settlement and agricultural economy which this monument can provide could be further expanded by comparative study of the related monuments in the island, several of which are being scheduled at this time.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HP 50 NE 15.

Reference:

Stummann-Hansen, S. (1994) Report No. 1. Newgord II.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

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