Earle

Has been described as a Possible Pele Tower, and also as a Possible Bastle

There are no visible remains

NameEarle
Alternative NamesYerdle; Yherdhill; Yerdehill; Yerdlun; Yardle; Yeardle
Historic CountryNorthumberland
Modern AuthorityNorthumberland
1974 AuthorityNorthumberland
Civil ParishEarle

A survey of 1541 states that the township of Yerdle contains a 'bastell house without a barmekyn' and is the inheritance of Thomas Hebburn and Gilbert Scott (Bates 1891).

Dacre's map of 1584 shows this tower (this map, reproduced in Bates, has insufficient information for even approximate siting).

In the 17th century the Hebburn's lands were at South Earle and the Scott's at North Earle. The present (1935) houses at these places are of the early 19th century (Dodds 1935).

The present buildings at North Earle and South Earle show no traces of antiquity, and there is no local tradition of a tower (F1 EG 29-SEP-1955). (Northumberland HER)

Gatehouse Comments

There are no remains so the form of this bastle is not certain however 1541 is an early date for bastles and the 1541 survey was interested in buildings that were defensive and could hold a garrison so most probably a larger bastle, possible of three storeys with a vaulted basement, rather than the smaller pele-house type (c.f. Hepburn Bastle also mentioned in the same survey).

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNT987262
Latitude55.5294418334961
Longitude-2.02091002464294
Eastings398700
Northings626200
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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

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Books

  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 107
  • Graham, Frank, 1993, Northumberian Castles Aln, Tweed and Till (Butler Publishing) p. 17
  • Rowland, T.H., 1987 (reprint1994), Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p. 32
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 347
  • Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 141-2
  • Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 95
  • Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1935, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 14 p. 171 and 173
  • Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p. 33, 78-9 (Also published as the whole of volume 14 (series 2) of Archaeologia Aeliana view online)

Journals

  • Bates, C.J., 1891, 'Border Holds of Northumberland' Archaeologia Aeliana (ser2) Vol. 14 p. 33, 78-9 online copy

Primary Sources