Gatehouse Bastles 4 and 5, Tarset

Has been described as a Possible Bastle

There are masonry footings remains

NameGatehouse Bastles 4 and 5, Tarset
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishTarset

Remains of two adjacent bastles incorporated in field wall. Comprising part of the south west side wall and a few stones of the south east end of one, and the south west side wall (with a slit vent) and south east end of a second later bastle built on to the south east end of the first. Typical massive rubble, standing to 1.5m but partly rebuilt. Traces of the north east wall of the second bastle show its dimensions to have been 9.70 x 7.35m externally (Ryder, P F 26-JUN-90 Field Investigation; Ryder 1990)

Section of field wall about 30 yards south of Gatehouse Farm. Built of random rubble. An L-shaped section of wall in massive masonry clearly represents the lower pairs of two walls of a bastle house. One slit window remains. The footings of the other two walls are visible in the farmyard and reveal a building about 35 feet by 20 feet with walls about 42 inches thick. A fragment of similar masonry about 30 yards east of south bastle may represent yet another bastle, bringing the number of visible bastles in the settlement to five. (Grundy Grade III). (Grundy 1987). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Gatehouse was a complex of five bastles. Shown only as a field wall on the OS map of 1862 so ruinous by that date. Gatehouse is recorded by MacLauchlan in a list of local 'Pele Towers' given to him by an old resident - most of these 'towers' actually were bastles or pele-houses. Which of the bastles was the 'Pele' meant by the old resident it is now impossible to guess.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY788888
Latitude55.1936988830566
Longitude-2.33334994316101
Eastings378870
Northings588880
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Ryder, Peter, 2004, 'Towers and bastles in Northumberland National Park' in Frodsham, P., Archaeology in the Northumberland National Park (CBA Research report 136) p. 262-271
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 296-8
  • Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 15 p. 250-1
  • MacLauchlan, H., 1867, Notes not included in the memoirs already published on Roman roads in Northumberland: taken during a survey made by direction of the Duke of Northumberland (London) p. 73 online copy

Journals

  • Christopherson, R., 2011, 'Northumberland bastles: origin and distribution' Medieval Settlement Research Vol. 26 p. 21-33 (listed in appendix)

Other

  • The Archaeological Practice Ltd., 2004, 'Tarset and Greenhaugh Northumberland an archaeological and historical study of a border township' Northumberland National Park Historic Village Atlas p. 42-3 (slight) (The Northumberland National Park Authority) online copy
  • Ryder, P.F., 1990, Bastles and Towers in the Northumberland National Park (Report for Northumberland National Park Authority) p. 41
  • Grundy, J., 1987, The Historic Buildings of the Northumberland National Park TAR11