Sweethope Bastle, Bavington

Has been described as a Possible Bastle

There are no visible remains

NameSweethope Bastle, Bavington
Alternative NamesSwetehope
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishBavington

A medieval manor is documented at Sweethope in the 13th century and in the 1296 Lay Subsidy it provided four taxpayers. A survey of 1541 refers to a castle {sic} and in the 1666 Hearth Tax six houses are listed. There are few clear traces on the ground of the former settlement, except for a small series of cultivation terraces, croft boundary banks and ridge and furrow cultivation. In about 1970 some pieces of masonry were found at Sweethope Farm, which it is thought may have belonged to former manor house or chapel associated with the medieval village. (Keys to the Past)

'NY 957819' D.M.V. at Sweethope. Nothing visible on available A.P's (R.A.F. 1946) (Medieval Village Research Group annual report 1963).

A survey of 1541 refers to a Castle in good repair at Sweethope (Hodgson 1897) {sic - Hodgson actual cites the 1541 survey of a 'bastell house'}.

There are vague traces of depopulation in the fields around Sweethope; a small series of cultivation terraces centred at NY957820; and wide spread rig and furrow; but the remains are neither coherent nor extensive (F1 BHP 10-JUL-68).

A bastell house was recorded at Sweethope in the 1541 Border survey, ie a strong house in modern terminology, but its site is unknown (Dodds 1999). (PastScape)

At Swetehope is an other bastell house of thinherytance of Sr John Fenwyke knighte in good rep'ac'ons (1541 Survey)

Gatehouse Comments

In the context of the 1541 list this was almost certainly a gentry status superior bastle (c.f. Hepburn Bastle) rather than a pele-house. The exact location is lost but the surviving rig and furrow does delimit the possibly locations somewhat and a location under or near the current farmhouse is most likely.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY956819
Latitude55.1313591003418
Longitude-2.07030010223389
Eastings395600
Northings581900
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 246
  • Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 115 (slight)
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 57
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 354
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 321
  • Northern Archaeological Survey, 1975, Archaeology in the North: gazetteer (Durham) p. 118
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 160
  • Hodgson, John Crawford (ed), 1897, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 4 p. 410 online copy
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 46 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)
  • Hutchinson, Wm, 1776, A View of Northumberland (Newcastle) Vol. 1 p. 216 (mention) online transcription

Journals

  • Christopherson, R., 2011, 'Northumberland bastles: origin and distribution' Medieval Settlement Research Vol. 26 p. 21-33 (listed in appendix)
  • 1963, Medieval Village Research Group annual report Vol. 11
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 46 online copy

Primary Sources

Other

  • Prothero, D.H., 1994. A Survey of Kirkwhelpington and Ridsdale Areas, Northumberland, W5
  • Wrathmell, S., 1975. Deserted and Shrunken Villages in Southern Northumberland from the Twelfth to the Twentieth Centuries (PhD Thesis University of Cardiff) p. 502