Boweshill Bastle, Bellingham

Has been described as a Possible Bastle

There are masonry footings remains

NameBoweshill Bastle, Bellingham
Alternative Names
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishBellingham

Ruined bastle incorporated in field walls 20m north west of 19th century cottage. Remains comprise lower part of east wall, 6.8m long, and lower part (partly rebuilt) of N wall, 7.7m (?) long, of large blocks, some roughly squared. Original wall thickness c1.1m. Blocked slit vent in centre east wall. South and west walls apparently completely removed. Traces of foundations of adjacent building on east. 30m to north footings of an east-west range of ?farm buildings of uncertain date (Ryder, P F 21-JUN-90 Field investigation).

Only a fragment, but the massive and irregular fabric is still quite dramatic (Ryder 1990).

Parts of two walls of a bastle house, incorporated into a later field wall. Parts of the gable end stand to about 7 feet and have a slit window. Parts of the side wall stand to about 5 feet. Remains of further buildings with smaller masonry are incorporated into the wall to the west. North-east of these remains are the footings of an extensive group of buildings. Again several seem of most substantial build (Grundy 1987). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Not shown, other than as field walls, on the 1862 OS six-inch map, but a lost building directly north of the cottage is shown. The building group somewhat further north, of which the footing clearly show on the modern air photo, is shown as roofed buildings but is not suggestive of a bastle.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY806857
Latitude55.1653900146484
Longitude-2.30685997009277
Eastings380600
Northings585700
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 287

Journals

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

Other

  • Ryder, P.F., 1990, Bastles and Towers in the Northumberland National Park (Report for Northumberland National Park Authority) p. 12
  • Grundy, J., 1987, The Historic Buildings of the Northumberland National Park BEL3