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Newark

Souterrain

<b>Newark</b>Posted by widefordImage © wideford
Nearest Town:Kirkwall (14km WNW)
OS Ref (GB):   HY575041 / Sheet: 6
Latitude:58° 55' 21.17" N
Longitude:   2° 44' 19.91" W

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<b>Newark</b>Posted by wideford <b>Newark</b>Posted by wideford <b>Newark</b>Posted by wideford

Fieldnotes

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Visited 8.6.12

We parked in the car park right next to the beach and despite being windy the weather was fine.

Karen, Sophie and Dafydd played on the beach while I followed the sign posted path (Aikerskaill road) around the headland to the site of the ruined chapel. It is only a 5 minute walk.

The Souterrain was easy to spot; near the beach and blocked up with brieze blocks and stones.
It looks as though the Souterrain has been exposed due to coastal erosion?

A family of ducks paddled past, battling against the wind – good luck to them!

If you are ever in this area try to also take in a visit to the nearby St Ninian’s church (Hogg-back grave) and the Gloup sea cave – both worth a visit in their own right.
Posted by CARL
16th July 2012ce

The site lies between the present steading and the sea, the main structure being the excavated chapel. The published souterrain can be seen below its floor level emerging from the back at your right and coming 'out' from under the wall at a slight angle. It has been filled in with stones, as have two passages in the cliff face far to the E of the main site (I do not know their date) - presumably all by the excavators. It could be me, but I did not see the 'tunnel' exiting the cliff. wideford Posted by wideford
1st May 2007ce

Miscellaneous

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RCAHMS NMRS record no. HY50SE 3 at HY57460413 mostly survives as a 10th century chapel and burial-ground, the former turned into a 16th C laird's house, but two souterrains were found beneath the chapel.
Only one has been published. Though it is described as a 10m long curved chamber running E/W, leaving at the cliff edge, it actually runs more N/S at the coast and runs to about 50' i.e. continuing underground for some distance past the chapel. This latter information comes from a website started by two ex-diggers (http://www.hopkinsweb.org.uk/orkney/), with the earth-house shown as a tunnel in the plans incorporated within their diaries. Unfortunately this only covers the dig's first two years. Apart from this there is very little published about the Newark excavations, either on paper or online, excepting the NMRS details. Which is a shame as the last entry is the discovery of a skeleton lying on a slab that may have served a platform.
wideford Posted by wideford
1st May 2007ce
Edited 27th June 2007ce

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The Yorkney Files


Unofficial 1969-70 account of University of York Newark excavation, mostly Norse and mediaeval. Now including photos and ground-plans of chamber and chapel, further notes in preparation.
wideford Posted by wideford
31st March 2011ce
Edited 31st March 2011ce