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Bastle House is a fortified farmhouse located in Northumberland, dating from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. These defensive structures were characteristic of the Anglo-Scottish border region, built to provide protection for farming families and livestock against the frequent raids and border conflicts of the period. The building typically combines domestic living quarters with a ground-floor chamber designed for sheltering cattle, whilst the upper storey served as the family's living space, with defensive features such as thick stone walls and minimal fenestration offering security. The bastle represents an important vernacular response to the particular dangers and social conditions of the border landscape during the early modern period.
Bastle House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006603. View the official record →
Bastle House is a fortified farmhouse located in Northumberland, dating from the sixteenth or seventeenth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006603.
Bastle House is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1006603.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Medieval shieling 600m south east of South Middleton (9.4 km), Iron Age defended settlement 740m south east of South Middleton (9.5 km), The Ringles defended settlement 1025m north west of Middleton Dean (9.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Bastle House's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Bastle House stands on Border Group, bedrock that formed in the Meramecian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate argillaceous rocks and limestone.