St Magnus Church, Egilsay facts for kids
St Magnus Church is an old church building on the island of Egilsay in Orkney, Scotland. It's a special kind of church called a round-tower church because it has a tall, round tower. This church is very old, built in the 1100s, and is now mostly a ruin without a roof.
People remember this place because it's believed to be where Saint Magnus Erlendsson died in the 12th century. Historic Environment Scotland says it's one of the most important old Norse churches left in Scotland, second only to St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.
Contents
What the Church Looks Like
St Magnus Church is found on the northwest side of Egilsay island in Orkney. Egilsay is part of a small group of islands that also includes Rousay and Wyre. These are sometimes called the Inner Northern Isles.
Building Style and Parts
The church was built in a style called Romanesque. This means it has thick walls and rounded arches over its windows and doors. The church has a main rectangular room called a nave. At the east end, there's a smaller area called a chancel, where the altar used to be.
The most unique part is the round tower at the west end. You could walk from the tower into the main nave. The chancel once had an upper floor. Both the nave and chancel originally had steep stone roofs, but these were removed by 1847.
The Round Tower
The round tower is currently about 15 m (49 ft) tall. When it was first built, it was even taller, probably around 20 m (66 ft), with four or five stories. The tower gets narrower as it goes up. This type of round tower is similar to others found in northern Germany, countries near the North Sea, and Ireland.
Surroundings
Around the church, there is also an old graveyard. The site is looked after by Historic Scotland and is protected as a scheduled monument. You can reach Egilsay by taking a ferry from Tingwall on the Orkney Mainland. As of early 2022, the church was temporarily closed to visitors for safety checks on its stone walls.
History of St Magnus Church
The story of St Magnus Church is closely linked to Saint Magnus.
The Story of Saint Magnus
An old Norse story called the Orkneyinga saga tells us that around the year 1116, Earl Magnus came to Egilsay. He was trying to settle an argument with his rival, Earl Haakon. Magnus stayed the night on the island, perhaps in an earlier church. The next day, Haakon captured Magnus, and he was killed.
Building the Church
In 1136, Bishop William of Orkney declared Magnus a saint. It's believed that the current church was built soon after this, right where Magnus was thought to have died. There might have been an even older church on or near this spot before Magnus was killed. The St Magnus Church we see today is the last remaining round-towered church in the Northern Isles.
