[NT 82043875] St Giles's Chapel [NR] (site of). (1)

The site of the medieval chapel at Wark is probably marked by the disused graveyard at the west end of the ridge on which the Castle stands. It is referred to, in 1828, as 'the burial ground at Gilly's Nick' presumably St Giles. (2a)

Foundations of the chapel show it to have been about 60ft by 28ft and divided into nave and chancel. (3)

Almost the complete outline of the chapel can be traced by a slight stony bank, and the fragmentary remains of overgrown walling. Surveyed at 1:2500. (4)

St Giles's Chapel occupies a shallow natural bowl between the kaim to the south and a very slight rise to the lip of the river cliff to the north. At this point the kaim is a high ridge with a natural gap (Gilly's Nick) which has been utilised as an access route. To the east a natural drop of 2-3m has been enhanced by cultivation. The field immediately to the west is under arable and is featureless.
The graveyard is an almost regular kite-shaped enclosure with opposing entrances near the centres of the north and south walls. The reason for this unusual plan is unclear. There are no topographical constraints and no obvious pre-existing land boundaries which might have dictated the layout. It is also noticeable that the chapel itself lies at an angle to this enclosure and in an awkward position within it.
The graveyard is defined by a stone wall 0.5-0.8m thick and surviving up to 0.7m high in places, though it is mostly a stony bank less than 0.5m high. There is no trace of gate structures at the entrances.
The chapel survives only as a low amorphous bank up to 0.4m high. It appears to be aligned almost precisely east-west. The shape of the bank suggests that the chapel had a distinct chancel with a wider nave. There has been much disturbance, especially on the south and west sides, and the dimensions of the building are uncertain though it must have been about 15m wide and at least 25m long. Very little stone is apparent; presumably the fabric of the building has largely been removed for use elsewhere.
Three large stones are visible on the surface in the area of the chapel. The smallest of the three is a rectangular block and is probably a displaced part of the chapel structure. Of the other two the more westerly is a grave slab bearing a simple incised cross and other symbols and is presumably of medieval date; the other two symbols are either swords (5) or a sword and a dagger (6); they are now too weathered for certain identification. The more easterly stone is a partly buried headstone, probably of the 18th century, though no date was legible on cursory inspection. (7)

Scheduled. (8)

Surveyed at 1:500. (9a)