The Lady Kirk (or St Mary's Kirk) at Pierowall is a ruined 17th-century church on the island of Westray, in Orkney, Scotland. The church was built in 1674, on the foundations of the 13th-century church. Two 17th-century grave-slabs, in excellent condition, are set into the interior wall of the chancel and are now protected by glass screens. The graves display fine lettering and 17th-century images of mortality, engraved in high relief. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 2014.
The Lady Kirk was originally built in the 13th century. [1] There is very little that remains of the original medieval building except for the bottom 2.34 m (7 ft 8 in) of the south wall of the nave, the base of the west gable and a portion of the chancel arch. In 1674, the nave was expanded, and the chancel was rebuilt as a "laird's aisle". Between the nave and chancel is a red sandstone arch. The nave was originally 14.5 m (48 ft) by 5.8 m (19 ft), but the remodel expanded the space by 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in). The chancel is now out of alignment with the nave. [2] [3]
The date 1674 is inscribed on the lowest stone at eaves level of the east gable. The west gable is topped by a "birdcage" bellcote with a ball finial. The building's masonry is made of rubble with freestone and lime mortar. The oldest sections of the church's walls were mortared with clay. [2] Two 17th-century grave-slabs are set into the interior wall of the chancel ("laird's aisle") and are now protected by glass screens. The slabs are in excellent condition and display lettering and images of mortality, engraved in high relief. The graves in the north wall include those of Michael Balfour, George Balfour (1657) and his wife, Marjorie Baikie (1676). On the east wall is Helen Alexander's grave-slab (1676). [4] The church and surrounding graveyard continued to be used until 1879. [2] [3] Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 2014. [5]
Westray is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, with a usual resident population of just under 600 people. Its main village is Pierowall, with a heritage centre, the 15th-century Lady Kirk church and pedestrian ferry service to nearby Papa Westray island. Westray has a number of archeological sites dating from 3500 BC, and remains of several Norse-Viking settlements. The spectacular sea cliffs around Noup Head are home to thousands of seabirds.
Papa Westray, also known as Papay, is one of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, United Kingdom. The fertile soil has long been a draw to the island.
Saddell Abbey is a ruined Cistercian monastery located in western Scotland. The abbey was established in 1160 by Somerled, Lord of Kintyre, who was killed in 1164. The abbey was completed by his son, Ragnall, a few years later. The original layout of the abbey included a church and three adjoining buildings grouped around a cloister. Saddell Abbey is widely known for its important collection of life-sized stone carvings and burial slabs that were constructed from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1975.
Birnie Kirk is a 12th century parish church located near Elgin, in Moray, Scotland. It was the first cathedral of the Bishop of Moray and is one of the oldest in Scotland to have been in continuous use. The graveyard, symbol stone and archaeological remains under the church have been designated a scheduled monument by Historic Environment Scotland.
Eynhallow Church is a ruined medieval church located on the uninhabited island of Eynhallow in Orkney, Scotland. The church dates back to the 12th-century and is thought to have originally been a monastery. Near the church are the building remains from a post-medieval village. Historic Environment Scotland first listed the site as a scheduled monument in 1921.
St Magnus Church is a ruined medieval round-tower church located on the island of Egilsay, in Orkney, Scotland. The site is recognized as the place of execution of Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, in the 12th century. The roofless structure dates back to the 12th century, and has been described by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) as second only to St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, as a surviving Norse church in Scotland.
Noltland Castle is located near Pierowall on the island of Westray in the Orkney Islands of Scotland. It dates mainly to the later 16th century, although it was never fully completed. The castle is protected as a scheduled monument.
Westside Church,, is a ruined 12th century church located on the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland. Archaeological excavations at the site suggest that the church is related to a nearby late Norse settlement. Historic Environment Scotland established the site, which includes the church and surrounding cemetery, as a scheduled monument in 1921.
St Oswald's Church is a redundant Anglican church in Kirk Sandall, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.
St Mary's Kirk at Auchindoir, between Rhynie and Lumsden, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, is one of the country's finest surviving medieval parish kirks. The main doorway is early Romanesque, and there is a well-preserved early 16th-century sacrament house, similar to those at Deskford and Kinkell.
Pierowall is a village of Westray in the Orkney Islands, off the coast of the northern Scottish mainland. The village is the island's largest settlement and lies near its northern end, around Pierowall Bay. It has a variety of historical remains dating from the Neolithic, the Iron Age, the Middle Ages, and later, including a large pagan Norse cemetery. In 1961 it had a population of 108.
The remains of the Orphir Round Church, also St Nicholas's Church, are located in Orphir Parish on the Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It has been part of a scheduled monument since 2014.
St. Kenneth's Chapel is a ruined chapel on Inch Kenneth Island, Parish of Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon, Isle of Mull, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It dates to the 13th century. It became a Scheduled Monument on 27 March 1928.
The Church of All Saints in Radwell in Hertfordshire is an Anglican parish church which falls within the Diocese of St Albans. It is a Grade II* listed building, having gained that status in 1968.
Cullen Old Church is the parish church for Cullen and Deskford, in Moray. It was originally a part of the Roman Catholic Church, but has been a part of the Church of Scotland since the Scottish Reformation. John R. Hume describes Cullen Old Church as a fine example of late Scots Gothic architecture, and it was designated a Category A listed building in 1972. It is still an active place of worship, with weekly services presided over by Rev Douglas F Stevenson.
Crail Parish Church is an ancient church building in Crail, Fife, Scotland. It is Category A listed, its oldest part dating to the 12th century. The walls and gravestones of its kirkyard are also Category A listed.
St Boniface's Church, Papa Westray is a historic church and graveyard located on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The site of the church dates back to the Iron Age and was possibly used later as a Christian monastery. The present church was built in the 12th century and was remodeled in 1710. A 12th-century Norse hogback gravestone lies to the east of the church. Two Pictish cross-slabs were uncovered in the graveyard in the 20th century, and were later moved to museums. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1959.
Holland Farm is a historic farm complex located on the island of Papa Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The two-storey harled flagstone house with crow-stepped gables, was built by Thomas Traill as a laird's house in the early 1800s. The farm was expanded over two hundred years, and consists of a horse engine house, threshing barn, corn-drying kiln, smithy, stackyard and a lectern-style dovecote. The present complex is a working farm and includes the Bothy Museum.
St. Mary's Chapel is a ruined 12th century chapel found on the island of Wyre, in Orkney, Scotland. It is thought to have been built by a Norse chieftain, Kolbeinn hrúga or his son, Bjarni Kolbeinsson, Bishop of Orkney. The now roofless Romanesque style building was originally constructed of local rubble and lime mortar. During the late 19th century, the building was restored. Historic Environment Scotland established the site, which includes the church and walled burial ground, as a scheduled monument in 1929.
St Martin's Church, Haddington is a ruined church in the town of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. A rare example of a 12th-century parish church, it was originally attached to the nunnery of St Mary's at Nungate. The nunnery was later destroyed by the English. St Martin's continued to function as a Protestant place of worship after the Reformation. It later fell into decay and was abandoned. Historic Environment Scotland established the site as a scheduled monument in 1921.