Round tower at W end of nave of St Magnus Church, Egilsay, Orkney, Scotland, built late C12th in honour of Earl Magnus murdered near by in AD1116/7.
Round tower at W end of nave of St Magnus Church, Egilsay, Orkney, Scotland, UK, built late C12th in honour of Earl Magnus murdered close by in AD 1116/1117. The tower is high but originally reached to around 20m with 4 or 5 storeys connected by wooden ladders. The tower was accessed from the ground floor of the nave (whose doors could be barred) & its windows are arranged to give views in all four directions: it would have served as a lookout & sanctuary, and as a seamark for ships approaching Kirkwall. A sketch of 1822 shows the church's flagstone roofs intact including a conical one on the tower. Earl Magnus was 'executed' by Lifolf on the orders of Earl Hakon his cousin & co-ruler of Orkney.
Size: 3709px × 4961px
Location: St Magnus Church, North Toft, Egilsay, Orkney, Scotland, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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