Monument record 1215 - Bailenacille, Pabbay

Summary

Centred on NF 886 867, pre-Clearance township

Location

Grid reference NF 88600 86700 (point)
Map sheet NF88NE
Island Pabbay, Harris
Parish HARRIS, Western Isles

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

NF88NE 6 centred on 886 867

(Centred NF 886867) Bailenacille - 'Kirktown' - a hamlet which was deserted between 1850 and 1877, except for one house still occupied. Name Book 1877

This depopulated village comprises the extant remains of 17 buildings ranging in size from 16.5 x 4.5m to 6.6 x 3.0m internally, with walls 1.5m wide and 1.0m high. Also associated with these buildings, and in some cases attached to them, are the remains of 7 dry-stone enclosures. In two of the buildings a corn-drying kiln has been built at one end - these kiln buildings were among the smallest in the settlement, measuring 8.2 x 3.5m internally. All the buildings are of 'blackhouse' type with rounded angles.
Visited by OS (R B) 29 June 1965

A township and a farmstead are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Inverness-shire, Island of Harris 1881, sheet xxi). The township comprises twelve unroofed buildings, two enclosures and two phases of head-dyke. The farmstead comprises two roofed buildings, one partially roofed building and a sheepfold.
One roofed, thirty-six unroofed buildings, eight enclosures, some sheep pens and two phases of head-dyke are shown on the current edition of the OS 1:10000 map (1971).
Information from RCAHMS (SAH) 20 March 1997

Current AP's show a roughley linear ruined settlement aligned NE/SW contained within a head dyke, possibly with earlier structures located to the eastern extent . An earlier phase of settlement is noted in a more clustered arrangement beyond the head dyke to the NE. This settlement had several enclosures, one of which is truncated by the head dyke. This township is depicted on Balds Map of Harris (1805).
KM (Archaeology Service CnES)


William Bald, 1805, Map of Harris (Cartographic materials). SWE41213.

Name Book (County), 1998, Name Books of the Ordnance Survey, Book No. 5, 135 (Unpublished document). SWE4254.

Sources/Archives (2)

  • --- Cartographic materials: William Bald. 1805. Map of Harris. Digital.
  • --- Unpublished document: Name Book (County). 1998. Name Books of the Ordnance Survey. Book No. 5, 135.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jun 5 2023 4:24PM

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