Description

The monument comprises a stone-built bridge, its approaches and a date-inscribed stone. The monument was first scheduled in 1953, but the documentation neither locates the bridge correctly nor describes the scheduled area with sufficient precision to protect all of the monument: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

The monument comprises the crossing of an ancient track or roadway over a westward-flowing burn and consists of three components: a bridge; splayed, crudely revetted, approaches on either side of the burn; and a dressed stone, inscribed with the date 1694, forming part of the bridge construction. The bridge, measuring approximately 7.5m by 3.2m, spans the burn in two vaults supported by a central pier. On the eastern side, the bridge is of clapper construction; the earthen roadway of the bridge is supported by horizontal slabs resting on pillars of horizontally bedded masonry that form the abutments and the central pier. On its western side, the bridge consists of a double arch, providing clearance to a maximum height of approximately 0.6m above the burn bed. Each arch springs from the rubble-supported burn bank. The arches abut the central pier with the point of contact being in each case, the angled surface of a single, triangular block, which forms the core of the pier. The masonry above the arches is horizontally bedded. It is clear from the point of contact between these two constructions that the western arches are primary. In general the masonry is rough-hewn and lacks mortar. The approaches on both sides of the bridge are much disturbed by cattle but survive as converging lines of stonework forming the kerbing for the road or track; there are additional skins of masonry close to the bridge abutments on the eastern side. The latter probably function as protection when the burn is in spate. The dated stone was moved to its present position, or was placed back in its original position, over the southern span on the eastern side of the bridge, in the 20th century. It may not date a construction phase of the bridge. Its eastern face, measuring 0.8m by 0.17m, has been carved with two full-face heads, between which is set the inscription: 'IL 1694'. The stone is now embedded in, and forms part of the eastern border to, the earthen road surface carried by the bridge masonry.

The area to be scheduled is a circle of diameter 35m centred on the centre of the bridge, to include all components of the bridge including the revetted approaches and the inscribed stone, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The post and wire fence to the north of the bridge is excluded from scheduling to allow for its maintenance.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved dry-stone bridge which displays two discrete phases and styles of construction and which once functioned as part of a now relict rural road system. The significance of the monument is enhanced by the presence, within the present fabric of the bridge, of a stone inscribed with the date 1694, initials and two carved faces. The stone cannot, however, provide unequivocal dating evidence for any particular phase of construction, use or ownership of the bridge, but it would not be unreasonable to infer from its presence that the bridge was in existence in the late 17th century.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as HY31NW 60. The monument is listed as No 122 in the Orkney Inventory where the dated stone is described as possibly derived from elsewhere.

References:

Fraser J 1923, 'Some antiquarian notes in Harray Parish', PROC ORKNEY ARCHAEOL SOC, Vol 1, 31-38.

RCAHMS 1946, TWELFTH REPORT WITH AN INVENTORY OF THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS OF ORKNEY AND SHETLAND, 3V, Edinburgh, 36.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland