The Manse, chambered cairn and church 330m WNW of, Eday

Heritage listing

Date Added 10/10/1936 Last Date Amended 20/10/2014 Type Ecclesiastical: church, Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn Local Authority Orkney Islands Parish Eday NGR HY 56021 32415 Coordinates 356021, 1032415 — The monument comprises the remains of a Maeshowe-type chambered cairn dating from the Neolithic period (between around 3500 and 2500 BC), together with an adjacent ruined 19th-century church and its enclosure wall. The remains of the cairn are spread over an area roughly rectangular in shape measuring approximately 40m NNE-SSW by 18m transversely. Originally the cairn would have comprised a central passageway, with chambers or cells leading off to the sides, and the whole sealed with a substantial covering of stones. The cairn was extensively robbed in the early 19th century, and the stone was re-used to build a United Presbyterian church immediately to the N. The cairn was partly investigated in 1860 by a local antiquarian, Robert J Hebden, which led to the recovery of part of a large slab decorated with spirals and rings pecked into its surface (now in the National Museum of Scotland), sherds from a pottery urn and flint flakes. The other half of the decorated stone was reportedly used as a lintel in the church, but there is no sign of it today. The church was erected in 1831 and was in use for less than 30 years before being abandoned. It is visible now as the remains of the N and E walls, which stand almost 4m high, and the ruined vestry projecting from the N wall. Its footprint measures 14.5m E-W by 8.4m transversely. Both the church and cairn are enclosed by a low stone dyke, which probably also incorporates stone from the chambered cairn. The monument is situated on the N shoulder of Chapel Hill at 50m above sea level, overlooking Eday Sound. The

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.