More information : (NY 87778674) Peel (GT) (Remains of) (1) An ancient Border tower now in ruins ... Property of Mr Scott Lowleam. The remains of a rectangular building with external measurements of 13.2m x 7.3m. The walls, 1.1.m to 1.3m thick, are of undressed stones, some very large, with roughly squared quoins. Two internal set-backs at 1st and 2nd floor levels and traces of joist holes suggest that the building had three floors the uppermost of which may have been an attic. In the south wall there are two doorways, one above the other, at ground and first floor levels. Both have holes for sliding drawbars and the upper doorway has large pivot holes in lintel and threshold. In the first floor there are small rectangular windows with chamfered surrounds but the ground floor has no window openings. There are no traces of fireplaces or of any internal or external staircase. The thickness of the walls and the door securing arrangements indicate that this building was of a defensive character and is of the type called Bastles or pele houses in Northumberland. These came late in the era of border fortification, which possible accounts for this example's omission from the Border Surveys of 1415, 1542 and 1584. The architectural features indicate a 16th or early 17th date. The situation is on a SE slope between the 500 and 600 foot contour, with a water supply immediately to the west. The remains are in generally poor condition with the SW corner recently collapsed. Local enquiries revealed no significant field names. (2) Condition unchanged (3) NY 877867 Bastle. (See Type-site NY 88 SE 14) (4) As described by Authority 2. Surveyed at 1:10 000. (5)
NY 8777 8673. Low Cleughs Bastle, 580m NNE of Low Leams Farm. Scheduled RSM No 25036. The bastle measures 13.3m by 7.5m externally within walls 1.2m to 1.4m thick. The upper gables have fallen and it is roofless. Both the basement and first floor living area were entered through doorways in the long S side, placed one above the other; this is unusual in bastle construction, where the normal entry to the byre is through a doorway placed in one of the gable ends. The upper storey has three rectangular windows with chamfered surrounds in the S wall, two to the left and one, partly fallen, to the right of the doorway there. The windows show that they were at one time blocked by iron bars and at least one was hung with shutters. It is not certain how the inhabitants gained access to the upper storey doorway, as there are no remains of an external staircase and given the unusual situation of the doorway, the existence of one would have blocked access to the byre entrance. It is thought that traces of beam slots in the upper walls of the first floor suggest that there may have been an attic floor above. Surrounding the bastle there are the slight remains of attached enclosures and smaller buildings visible as low stony walls and ditches; these features are represented on the earliest OS map of 1860 as a second building of similar proportions to the bastle and small enclosures and paddocks. Low Cleughs bastle, which is also a Grade II Listed Building, survives well without any later modifications. The existence of a possible attic storey, its three first floor windows and its larger than usual size suggest that this is a superior type of bastle occupied by a resident of higher status than usual. (6)
Bastle. Listed Grade II. (7)
Listed by Cathcart King and by Dodds. (8,9) |