Donkleywood Bastle
Has been described as a Certain Bastle
There are masonry ruins/remnants remains
| Name | Donkleywood Bastle |
| Alternative Names | |
| Historic Country | Northumberland |
| Modern Authority | Northumberland |
| 1974 Authority | Northumberland |
| Civil Parish | Falstone |
A pele formerly stood at Donkleywood (MacLauchlan 1867).
According to an indenture of 1684, this tower was in the possession of William Dodd. It stands on the north side of the road through the village (F1 FDC 05-JUL-1956).
NY 74598638. Remains of a strongly built tower formerly of at least two storeys in height, situated upon a slight rise in the centre of the village of Donkleywood, with a commanding view of the valley of the River North Tyne to the west, south and east, and overlooking gently-rising open moorland to the north.
The building measures overall 12.1m east-west, 7.6m north-south and stands to a maximum height of 4.5m at the east end. The walls at ground level are 1.5m - 1.9m in thickness, except the west wall, which appears to have been rebuilt and is 0.7m thick. The north wall is stepped in on the exterior at 1st floor level to a thickness of 0.7m, the east wall, on the interior, to 1.4m thickness, providing support for a floor. There is a ground floor entrance (now blocked) on the south side, an upper floor entrance (remains of) on the north side (F2 ASP 20-JUL-1956).
The remains have been greatly reduced by the construction of a farm building. Extant portion now measures 3m long and averages 3m high (F3 BHP 22-JUL-1970).
A modern farm building has been erected on the north west of this bastle destroying much of it but the west gable is retained in the building and the east gable and foundations of the south wall are still extant (F4 ISS 04-MAY-1977).
Ruined bastle among farmbuildings. Rectangular, 13.3m(?) x 7.65m. Walls of large roughly-squared blocks 1.55m-1.7m thick. East end stands to 2.9m, with internal set-back 1.9m above present ground level; stubs of side walls - remainder of south wall traceable as footings in roadside grass verge. Rubble cleared from interior and some consolidation in late 1980s (F5 PFR 21-JUN-1990).
A late 16th or early 17th century bastle, built of random rubble
Among the farm buildings on the north side of the road, one end of a bastle stands about 6 feet high. The walls are about 5 feet thick and 14-1/2 feet wide. (Grundy Grade III) (Grundy 1987). (Northumberland HER)
Not scheduled
Not Listed
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | NY745863 |
| Latitude | 55.1710395812988 |
| Longitude | -2.40064001083374 |
| Eastings | 374590 |
| Northings | 586380 |
