CHAPEL ON THE BROUGH OF DEERNESS.
The brough is on the east coast of Deerness, and measures on the top about 400 feet north and south by 240 feet east and west. It is separated from the mainland on the south-west by a narrow ravine or “geo,” which is almost wet at high water. ([Fig. 68.])
The brough is highest on the north, and at that part is about 90 or 100 feet high. ([Fig. 69.]) The coast hereabouts is steep and rocky. The use of the word brough for a detached rock, when no fort is placed on it, is not unfrequent.
The chapel ([Fig. 70]) is near the centre of the brough, enclosed in a yard 57 feet by 45 feet, of which only the foundation remains. The
Fig. 68.—Brough of Deerness.
Fig. 69.—Chapel on Brough of Deerness.
entrance into this is not evident. The chapel is a parallelogram, 24 feet 5 inches by 17 feet 4 inches outside. The west wall is 3 feet 2 inches, and the others 3 feet 11 inches thick. Only about 4 feet 6 inches and 5 feet in height remain above ground. It stands nearly true east and west, the west end facing a little south of west. It is built of clay slate from 1 foot to 3 feet long, and 2 to 7 inches thick, now much covered with yellow lichen. It has only one doorway ([Fig. 71]), which is in the west
Fig. 70.—Chapel on Brough of Deerness. Plan.
end, and apparently was only 2 feet wide; but the west wall is irregular, and appears to have been altered and repaired. The upper part of the doorway is gone, but probably it was square headed, with a stone lintel. The jambs are not splayed, and have no rebate for a door, nor is there any bar hole.[122] By digging at the west doorway it appeared probable that the floor inside was about 6 feet below top of sill of east window, but the level is uncertain, as the interior is much covered with debris.
Apparently there was only one window, which is in the east end. (See [Fig. 71.]) The top is gone, so that it is doubtful whether it was flat or arched. One jamb is gone and the other somewhat mutilated, but 1 foot 9 inches in height of it remains. The window had a clear opening of 1 foot 3 inches, with jambs splayed inside, to 3 feet 6 inches in width. It appears to have had the outer 11 inches of the jambs parallel, and to have contained glass. On a part of the east wall is built a beacon used for the survey.
In the north wall, near east end, is an ambry 2 feet 4 inches wide, not less than 2 feet 4 inches high (top is gone), and 1 foot 11 inches recessed. It has no traces of having had a door.[123] Supposing the floor to have been 6 feet below sill of east window, probably the side walls were about 8 feet high, and the points of the gables about 18 feet from floor. The roof was probably of large slabs of stone along the eaves and above them, either of smaller slabs or of “divots,” fastened down with “simmons” as on houses.
Fig. 71.—Chapel on Brough of Deerness. Elevations.
The external length is equal to the diagonal of the square of the width. About 35 yards south of the chapel is a tank or well.
On the south edge of the brough are stones which appear to have once formed a wall, and at this point is the entrance from the “geo.”
Spread over the top of the brough are foundations of at least 18 huts. They are mostly parallelograms, of about 24 feet by 12 feet outside, and the walls 2 feet 6 inches and 3 feet thick. These were for the use of devotees who used this as a place of pilgrimage.
A survey of our coasts and lakes will show how strong a partiality existed in early times for selecting as sites for churches and monastic establishments small islands, isolated rocks, or promontories difficult of access—for instance, the two St. Michael’s Mounts, Lindisfarn, Iona, Ireland’s Eye, Inisfallen, &c. Nor was this taste for isolation peculiar to the coasts. We find throughout Europe, and, indeed, in the East also, numbers of peaks difficult of access, bearing such buildings. The brough of Deerness and the brough of Birsay are good examples.