| More information : NY 830 967 Old Evistones (NAT) Village (NR) (remains of) (NAT) (1).
Deserted medieval village of Evistones. Listed (2).
The deserted village of Evestones built some time in the 15th century was inhabited at least until 1693 and now consists of a ruined tower, ruined houses and walls. Part of the old tower with vaulted chamber still stands (3).
NY 830967 The deserted village of Evistones consists of the remains of a bastle, steadings, garths and enclosure banks. The bastle, situated at NY 83059677, measures 10.7m by 7.5m with a maximum height of 3.5m and walling circa 1.6m thick. It is now used as a cattle byre. The excellent condition of the village remains (see sketch plan) suggests a late desertion. The surrounding area is covered with contemporary rig and furrow and cultivation enclosure banks, with adjacent cultivation terraces visible at NY 83089672. See sketch survey (4).
Remains of deserted village, as described by Authority 4. Published survey (25") revised (5).
NY 830967 The only building standing to any height in Evistone village is a bastle (see type site NY 88 SE 14) (6).
The size and construction of the remains 'B' and 'C' (see 1:2500 illustration) suggest a similar type of building to 'A' (that to which RCHM refers at NY 83059677), but too little exists for positive classification. (See also sketch survey Authority 4). Due to the close proximity of these substantial remains the classification of 'A' as a bastle rather than a peel would appear more likely. Resurveyed at 1:2500 (7).
NY 830 968. Evistones deserted village. Scheduled No ND/361 (8-9).
Listed by Cathcart King and by Dodds (10-11).
The remains of the medieval and post medieval settlement of Evistones, as described by Authorities 4-7, is visible as ruined structures and earthworks on aerial photography and lidar imagery and remains largely extant on the latest 2016 aerial source. The site is situated on a north-east facing slope overlooking the valley of the River Rede and comprises several rectangular buildings of medieval longhouse form and two later bastles around a central green, surrounded by various enclosures. These irregularly shaped enclosures may represent the remains of gardens or small fields. Surrounding the settlement complex on all sides there are the well preserved remains of ridge and furrow cultivation, recorded separately (UID 1630603). A third bastle, separate from the central settlement complex is visible c.75m to the north-east, attached to a large rectangular enclosure. The entire settlement was mapped as part of a PhD project at the University of York, in collaboration with the Historic England aerial investigation and mapping team.
The site is recorded in the Historic Environment Record (no. 8103). The HER description and List Entry for the Scheduling both state that the most prominent surviving building in the village is the bastle at the eastern end of the green, with its basement barrel vault standing to 2.8m high at its western end, now adapted for use as a sheepfold. The other bastle, at the north-west end of the green, does not survive as well (though still 1.5m high), and the third, remote bastle is even less well-preserved, but all three have massive walls of 1.5m thickness. Around the bastles are a series of other buildings in several earlier phases, largely visible as medieval-style longhouses (some standing to around 1m in height). Other isolated buildings are scattered beyond the village core, within the wider field system, and the whole complex of earthworks and structures is Scheduled (12-14).
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