MONUMENT NO. 15694

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Remains of 16th and 17th century bastle or tower house at Burnbank.

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Burnbank is situated between the Tarset and Tarbet Burns on a small gently sloping plateau with steep slopes on three sides and the fourth protected by a marsh separating it from a slightly higher part of the hillside. Across this fourth side runs a ditch and beside it lie the foundations of a range of buildings about 18'0" wide internally and terminating in the base of a square stone tower-like structure. The edge of the marsh nearest to the tower was embanked by a retaining wall, providing an approach to the plateau and at the same time holding up water in the marsh.

Except for a short continuation of this retaining wall the edges of
the plateau are not protected but doubtless they were once protected by a stockade.

The remains seem to be those of one of those farms who populated Tynedale in the reign of Allexander III (1249-1286). After being destroyed in the Scots War the square building, probably the camera end of a typical manor house, may have been made into a small tower house. Without excavation it is difficult to say whether the place was inhabited till a small 17th cent farmhouse was built nearby, on the site now occupied by West Burnbank and its gardens. (1)

NY79088757. Situation as described by Authy 1.

Remains of a rectangular building, 18.0m long, 6.0m wide, reduced to a low bank of loose stones, turf covered. Three contiguous rectangular buildings extended from the east end, each measuring 4.0m long by 6.0m width, now similarily reduced to fragmentary banks. A broad ditch runs along the north side of the foundations, across the width of the promontory. Remains of the retaining wall are extant upon the S edge of the promontory. (2)

The Dodds family occupied a tower or bastle at Burnbank in the 16th and 17th centuries. (3)

Listed by King. (4)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Northumberland County History

NCH 15 1940 249 (Edited by M Hope Dodds) 15 Page(s)249

( 2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 09-JUL-56

(3) Dodds, JF 1999 Bastions and Belligerents: Medieval Strongholds in Northumberland

Page(s)295

(4) David J Cathcart King 1983 Castellarium anglicanum : an index and bibliography of the castles in England, Wales and the Islands. Volume II : Norfolk-Yorkshire and the islands

Page(s)346

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