St. Mary's Chapel, Wyre facts for kids
St. Mary's Chapel is an old church building on the island of Wyre. Wyre is one of the many islands in Orkney, Scotland. This chapel was built a very long time ago, in the 1100s. It is believed that a powerful Norse leader named Kolbeinn hrúga or his son, Bjarni Kolbeinsson, who was a Bishop of Orkney, built it.
The chapel is now a ruin, meaning it doesn't have a roof anymore. It was built in a style called Romanesque. This means it has thick walls and round arches. The builders used local stones and a type of cement called lime mortar. In the late 1800s, people worked to fix parts of the building. Today, Historic Environment Scotland looks after the site. It includes the chapel and its old cemetery. They made it a special protected place in 1929.
About St. Mary's Chapel
St. Mary's Chapel is on the northwest side of Wyre island in Orkney. The chapel and its cemetery are at the bottom of a hill. At the top of this hill, you can find the ruins of an old fort. This fort is known as Cobbie Row's Castle.
The chapel is built in the Romanesque style. It has no roof today. It was made from local stones and lime mortar. The building dates back to the mid-to-late 1100s. It has two main parts:
- A rectangular nave (the main part where people sat).
- A chancel (the area near the altar).
The nave is about 5.87 meters long and 3.9 meters wide. The chancel is about 2.42 meters long and 2.2 meters wide. A round-arched doorway leads into the nave. Another archway separates the nave from the chancel. There are three small windows on the south wall. You can still see parts of the original plaster inside. The walled cemetery around the chapel has grown over time. People still use it today for burials.
History of the Chapel
The chapel was built around the middle or late 1100s. It was likely built by Kolbeinn hrúga or his son, Bjarni Kolbeinsson. Kolbeinn hrúga was a Norse chieftain, a powerful leader from Norway. He came to Orkney around the year 1142.
An old story called the Orkneyinga saga says that Kolbeinn hrúga built a stone fort on Wyre island. This fort is what we now call Cobbie Row's Castle. The old fort and the nearby chapel show that Wyre was once a very important place for the Norse people. It was likely a rich estate.
By the late 1700s, the chapel was no longer used and was falling apart. In the late 1800s, people started to clear and rebuild parts of the walls. During this work, they found a grave inside the chapel. It held the bones of a very tall, strong man. They also found a baptismal font, which is a basin used for baptisms. It was broken in two pieces. Later, this font was moved to Trumland House on the island of Rousay.
In 1929, Historic Environment Scotland officially protected the site. This means the ruins of St. Mary's Chapel and its walled cemetery are now a special monument.
Gallery
- St. Mary's Chapel
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See also
- Eynhallow Church
- St Boniface's Church, Papa Westray
- List of churches in Orkney
