Bankshead Bastle

Has been described as a Possible Bastle

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameBankshead Bastle
Alternative Names
Historic CountryCumberland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishWaterhead

Roman Milecastle reused as a stonehouse site.

There is no evidence that the Wall was reused {in the C16}, but perhaps the Milecastles were. Although there is no direct evidence the Milecastles would have made convenient barmkins. (Perriam and Robinson 1998)

Milecastle 52 is overlain by Bankshead House, there being no remains visible above the ground surface. It was partly excavated by Simpson and Richmond in 1933-4. This milecastle is exceptionally large, measuring 23.6m north to south by 27.8m east to west internally. (Scheduling Report)

Gatehouse Comments

No mention of possible bastle in PastScape record. Scheduled but bastle not mentioned in scheduling report. Perriam and Robinson give a couple of references to C18 mentions of 'Bankshead alias Stonehouse' and give a plan of the standing house. This house is not listed. Perriam and Robinson term 'stonehouse' can be used for small but thick-walled houses but not of a strict pele-house form, usually because the ground floor was residential rather than a byre house.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY579649
Latitude54.9769096374512
Longitude-2.65868997573853
Eastings357940
Northings564900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 132 (plan)
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 422 (general suggestion of reuse of Roman milecastle sites in C16)

Journals

  • 1935, 'Report of the Cumberland Excavation Committee for 1934' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 35 p. 247-256 online copy
  • 1934, 'Report of the Cumberland Excavation Committee for 1933' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 34 p. 147 online copy