Castlefacts³

Hawick Bastle, Bavington

Has been described as a Certain Bastle

There are no visible remains

Name	Hawick Bastle, Bavington
Alternative Names	Hawike; Hawyke
Historic Country	Northumberland
Modern Authority	Northumberland
1974 Authority	Northumberland
Civil Parish	Bavington

A survey of 1541 refers to a 'Bastell House' at Hawick (Bates 1891).

A small area of fragmentary banks and ground disturbance centred NY 963825, in a field known as 'Chapel Hill', indicates some depopulation, but the remains are neither coherent nor extensive. There are no visible traces of the bastle, but a rectangular platform at NY 96278255 may represent its site (F1 BHP 10-JUL-1968).

The vill of Hawick was a member of the lordship of Bolbec. In the 13th century it was held by the lords of Bolam. A certificate of 1584 recorded that four 'decays' had taken place since 1535, suggesting either depopulation or the impoverishment of tenants. It had no separate entry in the Hearth Tax of 1666. In a Survey of 1734 six families were recorded. Armstrong's map of 1769 showed four buildings. Only one farmhouse remains. Most of the earthworks seen by Hodgson seem to have been obliterated. The eastern boundary of the village is clearly defined by ridge and furrow and a perimeter bank. A few earthworks are visible to the west of the bank, including a rectangular enclosure and a possible sunken way. Most of Chapel Hill is under ridge and furrow, except for the summit itself which probably marks the site of the chapel (Wrathmell 1975).

Hawick Bastle, in list of 1541, no trace remains. Site occupied by farm (Long 1967).

Hodgson records chapel remains having been found in the 18th century east of the village. Finds included a holy water basin and some bones. Wrathmell notes a 13th century charter recording St Katherine's chapel at Hawick (Prothero 1994). (Northumberland HER)

At Hawyke ys a bastell house of thinherytau'ce of one ...... Bellyngiam in good rep'ac'ons (Bates 1891 quoting survey of 1541)

Gatehouse Comments

The 1541 Survey tends to concerned with larger defensible houses and the term 'bastell' tends to be used for larger houses (c.f. Doddington Bastle). Of the lost sites in that survey most are in areas of better farming lands and center of somewhat more wealthy estates, the later development of which may explain their disappearance. However the tenant in 1542 'Bellingham' does not seem to be a gentry status individual so this may have been somewhat smaller than Doddington but probably larger than the pele-house type bastles of the higher lands.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)

19398

County Historic Environment Record

www.keystothepast.info/article/10339/Site-Details?PRN=N9548

OS Map Grid Reference	NY963823
Latitude	55.137809753418
Longitude	-2.06034994125366
Eastings	396310
Northings	582340