Foula, former parish, Walls & Sandness

Grid reference

HT 958 405 (general (5km))

Six-figure easting & northing

395800 114050

Latitude

60.14952094423794

Longitude

-2.075647916372439

County

Shetland

Nearby places

St Helen Head, Foula, Walls & Sandness (0.95 miles)

St Margaret's Kirk, Sandness, WAS Shetland (17.91 miles)

Sandness, former parish WAS (Shetland) (17.91 miles)

Papastour, former parish, WAS (Shetland) (18.18 miles)

St Ninian's Chapel WAS (18.21 miles)

Object Classification

Parish (non-extant in 1975)

Is linear feature?

No

Notes

The NGR is for the site at Harrier marked as a chapel and burial-ground on OS 6 inch 1st edn, but not on modern OS maps. NMRS records: HT 958 405 A geophysics survey was carried out in the vicinity of Old North Harrier House on the island of Foula in May 2006. The survey was done with fluxgate gradiometer, twin probe resistance and electronic distancing meter. Approximately 7 acres (2.5ha) were covered. Results from resistance generally supported the gradiometer survey, but the latter was more successful. A plot of the gradiometer survey is shown below. The cornyard behind Old North Harrier House is referred to locally as the `old chapel site¿ and the survey did indeed demonstrate the presence of structural remains under the cornyard, continuing under the modern yard wall on to the flat platform beyond, cut into the hillside. On the hillside above, dense but less regularly shaped signals suggested the presence of prehistoric settlement, not far from the known burnt mound. The flat, grassy area below Old North Harrier House, to the SE, was shown to have significant activity underlying it, probably of historic date, and this activity extended as far SW as the known cairn. To the W of Harrier Burn, the ground was rough and uneven, but there were significant signs of activity, probably prehistoric, towards the southern end of the area surveyed, in the vicinity of the known burnt mounds. A full report has been prepared and sent to Foula Heritage and to other relevant parties, including Shetland Amenity Trust Archaeologist. Sponsor: Foula Heritage. J Oswin 2006.

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/

Relationships with other parishes

Within Walls and Sandness, modern parish (Shetland)

Relationships with other places

Contains St Helen Head, Foula, Walls & Sandness

Parish details

Foula united in 16th c. with Papastour PPX; Sandness SXN and Walls WSX WAS

Parish TLA

FOX

Medieval diocese

Orkney