Monument record 1335 - RUDH'AN TEAMPUILL, TOE HEAD, HARRIS

Summary

Mediaeval chapel on the site of an Iron Age broch

Location

Grid reference NF 97000 91340 (point)
Map sheet NF99SE
Island Harris
Parish HARRIS, Western Isles

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

NF99SE 6 9700 9134.

(NF 9700 9134) Chapel (NR) (Ruins of).
OS 6"map, Inverness-shire, 2nd ed., (1903)

A single-chambered chapel measuring 21' by 10' with walls about 2 3/4' thick. The masonry is of random rubble brought to courses and the walls remain to a height of 6 1/2'. Both gables are intaken. A high-level window and some corbelling at the west end suggest that there has been a gallery, while at the east end, part of the altar seating, a corbel or image bracket and two small aumbries remain. Both ends of the building are raised one step.
A broch was discovered by Simpson, in September 1965, underlying the chapel. The turf was stripped from the outer and inner faces to reveal the plan which gave a diameter of 54' over walls9' thick. The entrance was on the east.
RCAHMS 1928; D D A Simpson 1965.

Muir suggests that this chapel may be either St Rufus's Church or St Luke's Church mentioned by OPS (which quotes from MacLeod's list of the dedicated churches in Harris, all of which, according to MacLeod, were dependant upon St Clement's Church (NG08SW 7 ). Since the Rufus dedication probably refers to St. Mulruhha's Chapel on Berneray (NF98SW 8) only the dedication to St. Luke remains.
T S Muir 1885; Orig Paroch Scot 1854; OSA 1794.

A chapel, as described and planned by RCAHM. The dedication is not known locally. The broch appears to have been reduced to its base course, and Simpson's exploratory excavation has revealed the entrance, and inner and outer wall faces, giving an overall diameter of 16.6m with a wall thickness of 3.7m. No other details are exposed. Vague traces of settlement on this headland may be partly associated with the broch (but see also NF99SE 4).
Revised at 1/10,000.
Visited by OS (A A) 3 July 1969.


OSA, The Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol. 10, 377 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5882.

OPS, 1854, Origines Parochiales Scotiae, 376-9 (Bibliographic reference). SWE9142.

T S Muir, 1885, Ecclesiological notes on some of the Islands of Scotland, 38 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5959.

RCAHMS, 1928, The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles, 31, No. 108 plan fig. 78 (Bibliographic reference). SWE5587.

D D A Simpson, 1965b, Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 22 (Bibliographic reference). SWE13541.

Sources/Archives (5)

  • --- Bibliographic reference: D D A Simpson. 1965b. Discovery and Excavation, Scotland. 22. 22.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: RCAHMS. 1928. The RCAHMCS 9th Report & Inventory: Outer Hebrides, Skye and the Small Isles. 31, No. 108 plan fig. 78.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: OSA. The Statistical Account of Scotland. Vol. 10, 377.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: T S Muir. 1885. Ecclesiological notes on some of the Islands of Scotland. 38.
  • --- Bibliographic reference: OPS. 1854. Origines Parochiales Scotiae. 2. 376-9.

Finds (2)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Jul 28 2005 2:24PM

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