| Name: | Ardwall Isle | CISP No: | AWALL |
| Place: | Fleet Bay | Grid Ref: | NX 573 495 (GB)
|
| Parish: | Borgue | Stones: | 2 |
| County: | Kirkcudbrightshire , Scotland | Saint(s): | none |
| Site Type: | ecclesiastical |
NMRS/NX54NE6: `Excavations in 1964--5 on Ardwall Isle revealed a sequence of occupation starting with a local lay cemetery of possibly fifth or sixth century date to which a slab-shrine of Irish character was added c.600. A timber oratory was inserted into the cemetery in the mid-seventh century ignoring the slab-shrine, and further burials were aligned on this structure. This was in turn replaced c. 700 by a larger stone chapel, further burials being aligned on this new axis. Even when it had ceased to be used for worship and had partly collapsed, burials were inserted both inside and outside the ruins till the eleventh century. From perhaps as far back as the timber structure phase, the site was enclosed by a bank, and may have contained small cells, being probably an eremitic monastery serving the Gatehouse and Borgue district. The chapel appears to be Irish rather than Northumbrian in type.
Numerous eighth to ninth century cross-slabs and cross-incised stones were found during the excavation, as well as many small finds of metal, bone, glass and stone'.