Westside Farm Bastle, Allendale
Has been described as a Possible Bastle
There are major building remains
| Name | Westside Farm Bastle, Allendale |
| Alternative Names | West Side |
| Historic Country | Northumberland |
| Modern Authority | Northumberland |
| 1974 Authority | Northumberland |
| Civil Parish | Allendale |
Among the outbuildings of West Side farm is one of two storeys with a cowbyre on the ground floor and former living accommodation above. The arrangement is that of a bastle, but the walls are only 2 1/2 ft. thick. It may be regarded as a late survival of the bastle tradition after the strict needs of defence had disappeared. (Ramm, McDowell and Mercer, 1970)
A well preserved bastle-like building. The building is of better quality than the average Allendale bastle in its size, mullioned windows and evidence of a firehood at each end (Ryder, P F, 1991. Notes for NEVAG Allendale Field Day, 18/5/1991).
The principal farmbuilding at Westside is a well preserved bastle or bastle derivative house. It measures 11.85m by 6.7m externally, and is constructed of squared rubble with cut dressings; the walls are relatively thin (c.0.75m). The basement door is set to the east of centre in the south wall and has a flat pointed arch; to the west are two slit vents. In the north wall are a single slit vent and a pair of inserted doorways, with shallow external porches. The heavy transverse beams of the first floor remain, with heavy corbelling for the hearth at the west end. The first floor is entered by a doorway set more or less centrally in the south wall, and having a flat pointed arch within a square frame; to the west of the doorway are a two-light mullioned window, and to the east a small square window; all the windows have chamfered surrounds. In the north wall is a single small square window, close to the east end, having no stone dressings but a timber frame with evidence of a central mullion and iron bars. The east end of the house incorporates the more steeply pitched gable end of an earlier building, with a considerably lower eaves level. The west end has a small window at attic level
Internally there is evidence of a firehood at the west end, with a recess at the rear of the hearth, and the stub ends of a bressumer that carries the front of the hood. The roof is of five bays; the end trusses are relatively recent, but the two central ones are old; they are of simple principal rafter type, with collars, carrying two purlins on each roof slope; it would appear that there was originally no ridge piece.
This is a rather superior bastle when compared with most bastles in the area (Ryder 1994-5). (Northumberland HER)
Not scheduled
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law
Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | NY789572 |
| Latitude | 54.9099617004395 |
| Longitude | -2.32895994186401 |
| Eastings | 378990 |
| Northings | 557270 |
