Westside Church, (also known as Cross Kirk), is a ruined 12th century church located on the island of
Westray
Westray (, sco, Westree) 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 servic ...
in
Orkney
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Archaeological excavations at the site suggest that the church is related to a nearby late
Norse settlement.
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) ( gd, Àrainneachd Eachdraidheil Alba) is an executive non-departmental public body responsible for investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland's historic environment. HES was formed in 2015 from the mer ...
established the site, which includes the church and surrounding cemetery, as a scheduled monument in 1921.
Description
The stone remains of Westside church are located on the south shore of the Ness of Tuquoy on the island of Westray in Orkney, Scotland. The original church dates to the 12th century. The building initially consisted of a
chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse.
Ove ...
and a short, rectangular nave, measuring by .
The
vaulted
In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...
chancel is entered from the nave through a rounded doorway. The nave was lengthened westward during the 17th century when the parish church needed to accommodate the growing population on the island and a larger congregation.
On the east side of the church are the original walls, which reach a height of around . The walls that were built in the 17th century, at the west end of the church, are less than in height.
Westside church is enclosed by a walled burial ground. Approximately to the west of the church, coastal erosion has uncovered the remains of a large late Norse settlement. Archaeological excavations at the site suggest the church was probably built to serve the settlement. A grass-covered embankment, measuring approximately by , and situated to the northeast of the church, is thought to be the remains of an earlier, pre-12th century enclosure. Historic Environment Scotland established the site, which includes the church and burial ground, as a scheduled monument in 1921.
See also
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Lady Kirk
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 ...
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St Boniface's Church, Papa Westray
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 ...
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St Olaf's Church, Unst
St Olaf's Church, Unst is a ruined medieval church located on the island of Unst, in Shetland, Scotland, UK. The church was built in the Celtic style, and dates to the twelfth century. The burial ground surrounding the church includes several ea ...
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List of churches in Orkney
A List of churches in Orkney, Scotland:
The islands have an estimated 27 active churches for 21,500 inhabitants, a ratio of one church to every 796 people.
The islands were originally divided into 21 civil parishes: Birsay and Harray, Cross ...
Resources
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Historic Scotland properties in Orkney
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Orkney
Churches in Orkney
Westray