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Latitude: 60.8046 / 60°48'16"N
Longitude: -0.8042 / 0°48'15"W
OS Eastings: 465171
OS Northings: 1214112
OS Grid: HP651141
Mapcode National: GBR S0C5.VF0
Mapcode Global: XHF6Z.YPZD
Entry Name: St John's Church, remains of, Norwick, Unst
Scheduled Date: 23 March 1998
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Source ID: SM7636
Schedule Class: Cultural
Category: Ecclesiastical: church
Location: Unst
County: Shetland Islands
Electoral Ward: North Isles
Traditional County: Shetland
The monument comprises the remains of St John's Church, Norwick which tradition holds to lie over the site of an Iron Age broch.
The only visible remains are the turf-covered footings of the walls of the nave, the chancel having been obscured by a later memorial. The nave measures about 8.2m by 4.1m internally, and the chancel 5.2m by 2.8m. The N wall of the nave has a very slight outward bow. There is no trace of the supposed broch, but the whole churchyard stands on a large mound which may contain earlier remains.
The area to be scheduled consists of the footings of the church, the area within it and an area outside extending 1m out from the walls, giving maximum dimensions of 17m ENE-WSW by 8m. Excluded from scheduling are the War Memorial and two headstones which lie within the remains of the church.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
The monument is of national importance as the remains of a simple pre-Reformation parish church, with the potential to provide information about medieval church architecture and parish organisation. It was probably constructed at about the time that Shetland was passing from Danish to Scottish rule.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Bibliography
RCAHMS records the monument as HP 61 SE 1.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland
Other nearby scheduled monuments