church and burial ground 130m NW of Papil

Heritage listing

Date Added 09/08/1968 Last Date Amended 17/08/2012 Type Ecclesiastical: burial ground, cemetery, graveyard; church Local Authority Shetland Islands Parish Lerwick NGR HU 36868 31493 Coordinates 436868, 1131493 — The monument comprises the remains of St Laurence's church, a medieval chapel and associated buildings, burials and earlier remains, all set within an enclosure. It survives as buried deposits, low earthworks and partially visible grave markers, representing various periods of occupation, but thought to have originated in the 8th century AD. The remains survive below and alongside a 19th-century ruined church and a burial ground, still in use. Early cross-slabs and a fragment of a shrine post were found at the site, but removed to a secure environment. The church and its graveyard are located on West Burra on land overlooking South and West Voe at approximately 10m above sea level. The precise form of St Laurence's church has yet to be established, but researchers believe it stood on the low mound slightly to the north and west of the later ruined church, possibly with a round tower attached, and that there was an associated building (possibly another chapel) located north of the current ruined church. Some foundations recorded below the current ruin may indicate part of the extent of the early church. The graveyard has yielded some highly significant finds during grave-digging operations. An 8th-century cross-slab known as the Papil stone, which bears finely-carved Celtic artwork depicting a procession of monks or priests, was found in this area in 1943. Another cross-slab also bears clear early Christian iconography, and several further carved stones, including two ornate shrine-panels (now also removed from the site), have also been unearthed at Papil. A vari

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.