St. Magnus Church

Orkney, United Kingdom

The roofless remains of St. Magnus Church stand on the western side of Egilsay – dominating the island on which St Magnus was executed early in the 12th century.

Built towards the end of the 12th century, the church is made up of a rectangular nave and a square chancel, with a tall round tower on the western end. Despite the lack of a roof, the remains are still in good condition.

The structure lost its roof sometime in the mid to late 19th century. An early 19th sketch shows a stone roof over kirk’s nave, chancel and tower.

It is thought that the kirk was built on the spot of an earlier church – the one mentioned in the sagas as the site of Earl Magnus’ murder in 1115, 1116, 1117 or 1118.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Egilsay, Orkney, United Kingdom
See all sites in Orkney

Details

Founded: 12th century
Category: Religious sites in United Kingdom

More Information

www.orkneyjar.com

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Angela McLaren (6 years ago)
Duncan MacLaren (6 years ago)
Alexander MacLaren (6 years ago)
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Gravensteen

The Gravensteen is a castle in Ghent originating from the Middle Ages. The name means 'castle of the counts' in Dutch. Arnulf I (918–965), Count of Flanders, was the first to fortify this place, building a medieval bastion on this high sand dune, naturally protected by the river Leie and its marshy banks. This bastion consisted of a central wooden building and several surrounding buildings, also in wood.

In the early 11th century, the wooden building was replaced by a stone residence, consisting of three large halls that made up three storeys, connected by a stone stairwell. The monumental stone staircase, the light openings, the fireplaces built into the walls and the latrines were signs of considerable luxury and comfort in those days. There was probably also a tower.