BLACK MIDDENS

ABOUT THIS MONUMENT

+ / -

EH Visitor Information
Related Monuments
Related Text
Investigation History

More Pictures
Modern Map
Old Map
Aerial Photograph

Monument Types
Sources
Thesaurus
Description

DESCRIPTION

+ / -

A well preserved 16th century bastle at Black Middings. The bastle remains largely intact, with only its roof missing, and measures 7.3 metres by 10.4 metres and stands circa 8 metres high to the gable ridge. Its walls are 1.4 metres thick and it illustrates the usual arrangement of a two storey structure with steeply pitched gables. The stumps of the original raised cruck roof survive. It is of the rarer type of bastle in which the ground floor had a timber ceiling instead of a vaulted stone roof. There are two doorways in the south west wall, one leading into the basement and the other into the upper floor. Both are 18th century replacements of original doorways and are wider than the 16th century doors would have been, since the defensive function of narrow doors was no longer necessary by that time. The upper floor was also heightened by incorporating two original windows whilst the original ladder access to the upper floor was replaced by an outer staircase. The bastle is both Scheduled and a Grade II* Listed Building.

PICTURES

+ / -

DETAIL

+ / -

MORE INFORMATION & SOURCES

+ / -

At Black Middings there is a two storied Bastle House. There is a door at one end of the lower storey, and on the south side an outside stair to a door on the upper floor, which also has two small window openings. The upper door, which has an older window united for its head is not later than the 18th century. The flooring and roof are modern (Article compares this building with the two bastles at Gatehouse (NY 78 NE 4) which are probably of the time of Henry VIII or Elizabeth.

To the east of the building are the ruins of an 18th cent cottage which stands partly on the massive foundations of an earlier house which possibly preceded the bastle. (1)

Black Middings. A typical Tudor strong house. (2)

NY 77318999. Remains of a defended house situated upon a rocky rise, against a fairly steep SW - facing slope of pasture moorland, which drops to the River Tarset.

A slight depression NE of the site and separating it from overlooking high ground is subject to boggy conditions, and is reed filled. The site commands the Tarset valley to the NW, SW and SE. The building measures 7.3m by 10.4m and is approx 8.0m high to the gable ridge. The walls of massive stones, are 1.4m thick. Two modern doors in the SW wall lead into the two ground floor compartments, now used to house cattle and poultry. There is a splayed window in the NW wall. The derelict farmhouse to the SE stands upon older foundations which extend from the defended house to a point 6.0m SE of the farmhouse. (3)

The remains of the bastle are as described, but the foundations to the SE are too indefinite for survey action. (4)

NY 775898 Black Middens. Bastle. (See Type Site NY 88 SE 14 ) (5)

As described in reports of 30.7.56 and 21.7.70.
Surveyed at 1:10 000 (6)

NY 773900. Black Middens Bastle. Under guardianship (7), but previously listed as "Black Middens pele" (8).

Additional scheduled area includes the remains of a rectangular house with late 18th or 19th century windows, the site of a rectangular building and the remains of an inner field system comprising low banks. These remains represent the development of a small upland farmstead originating with the bastle, and expanding into a linear farmstead of the 18th/19th century. (7-8)

II Black Middings Pele A well preserved small late mediaeval bastle house. Description in N.C.H. Vol. XV. (9)

Plans, sections and elevations at 1:20 have been prepared by Plowman, Craven and Associates (10a). Further elevations and analysis of fabric are being undertaken (10b) in the course of display. The bastle is as described by authority 5 except that it is currently roofless and has no upper floor; a viewing gallery has been inserted at first floor level and the original ground floor entrance is totally blocked.

An area of cobbles and paving extends from the foot of the external staircase around the corner of the building. The primary phase of the bastle in the 16th century may be associated with some elements of the surrounding field system. The bastle was later
converted to agricultural use, forming part of the Black Middens farm complex. (10)

NY 7733 9002. Two bastles, an 18th century farmhouse and associated enclosures at Black Middings. Scheduled RSM No 23224. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) edited by Madeleine Hope Dodds 1940 A history of Northumberland, volume fifteen : the parish of Simonburn, the parish of Rothbury, the parish of Alwinton

A history of Northumberland15 vols (1893-1940) vol.15 Page(s)271

( 2) General reference

The Three Northern Counties of England 1939 334 (Sir C Headlan)

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 30-JUL-56

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F2 DS 21-JUL-70

( 5) H G Ramm, R W McDowall and Eric Mercer 1970 Shielings and bastles

No 60 Page(s)91

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F3 AGM 16-MAY-77

( 7) General reference

DOE (IAM) AMs Record Form 24.11.80

( 8) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands

1 Page(s)47

( 9) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Bellingham RD, JAN-1946

(10) Field Investigators Comments

Mark Bowden/16-JUL-1987/RCHME: Black Middens Survey

(10a) General reference

Fahy, MJ 1984. Black Middens Bastlehouse Progress Report. HBMC Internal Report.

(10b) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

27-JAN-1994

(12) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Tynedale, 07-JAN-1988 1406

MONUMENT TYPES

+ / -

COMMENTS

+ / -

Please help us keep our information accurate let us know if you see any errors on this page.

Further information about monuments may be obtained by contacting NMR Enquiry and Research Services , through the English Heritage website.

EH Prints
English Heritage
Heritage Explorer
Heritage Gateway
Images of England
NMR
ViewFinder