Scheduled Monument
Howa Tower,chambered cairn NNW of Netherhouse,Bay of KirbistSM1329
Status: Designated
Documents
Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).
The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.
Summary
- Date Added
- 10/11/1953
- Last Date Amended
- 01/12/2000
- Type
- Prehistoric ritual and funerary: chambered cairn
- Local Authority
- Orkney Islands
- Parish
- Westray
- NGR
- HY 43435 43628
- Coordinates
- 343435, 1043628
Description
The monument comprises a low grass-covered mound from which orthostats project; it is interpreted as a round cairn with a tripartite chamber. The monument was first scheduled in 1953 but an inadequate area was included to protect all of the archaeological remains: the present rescheduling rectifies this.
The precise location of the cairn edge is uncertain and as a consequence the monument is variously described as oval or circular and measurements vary. Damage by rabbits has exposed what may be kerbstones on the E side and the cairn may as much as 23m in diameter. The monument is prominently located at the summit of a low ridge and survives to a height of approximately 1m. Close to the centre are four upright slabs all aligned NE-SW. The orthostats range from 0.5 to 0.2m in height above the mound surface, and from 1 to 1.15m in width. All are about 0.1m thick. These slabs have been interpreted as the surviving jambstones within a much-damaged tripartite stalled chamber. Various observers have reported other slabs and/or stonework located towards the perimeter of the cairn but the relationship of such stones to the prehistoric monument is uncertain.
The area to be scheduled is a circle 30m in diameter centred on the principle group of orthostats, to include the cairn and an area around it in which evidence of its construction and use may survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. The field boundary at the S edge is specifically excluded.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
About Scheduled Monuments
Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.
We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.
Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
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Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the
scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).
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