HEPBURN BASTLE

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The ruins of a medieval tower house of early 16th century date situated within the grounds of Chillingham Park. It was modified in the later 16th or 17th century and buildings were attached to it. It is commonly known as Hepburn Bastle. The 14th century tower house, which is Listed Grade II*, stands two storeys high with twin gable ends to the east and west. It is rectangular in plan and measures about 16.6 metres by 10.8 metres externally with walls of tooled sandstone ashlar. Externally, there is a chamfered plinth and a chamfered set-back a little below eaves level. At basement level, the walls are about 2.7 metres thick, except for the east wall which incorporates a mural stair and is 3.5 metres thick. The entrance lies in the south wall. East of the doorway the wall has partially crumbled following the collapse of the well of the newel stair. Additionally, there appear to be rough footings projecting about 1.2 metres in front of the wall, and which suggest an external stair. The south wall has one window at first floor level and a scar left by the roofline of a former building, the footings of which are partially visible close to the main building. The east wall has a slit window and a small loop with the remains of sockets for an iron grille at basement level and an area of patched masonry. The north wall has a window at first floor level as well as two openings for garderobe chutes. The west wall has a single chamfered loop to the basement and a pair of windows to the first floor; the gables also have two openings. Internally, the ground floor comprises a barrel vaulted basement with a later fireplace in the north wall. At the east end, a doorway leads to a mural chamber. The first floor was divided into three rooms, each with a fireplace. The second floor, or attic level, is partially obscured by ivy but fireplaces, windows and a window seat are traceable. The twin gables at this level are thought to be late 16th or 17th century in date.

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(NU07072488) Bastle (GT) (Ruins of) (1)

The 'hold' at Hebburn is first mentioned in 1509 (2) and is also
mentioned in a survey of 1542 when it was said to be a tower in reasonably good repair.

In the SE corner of Chillingham Park is the ruinous 'bastle-house' of the ancient family of Hebburn. It is difficult to conceive how this 'bastle house' could ever be called a 'tower' as it was in early surveys. A heap of stones near the park wall has been pointed out as the site of the tower, but on the other hand the work is more like the reign of Henry VIII than of Elizabeth and it is unlikely
that the surveys of the border fortresses would have omitted this strong house near a tower.

In 1564 it is referred to as a 'mansion house' and was no doubt of larger extent than the present building which bears on the south
side the marks of the roof of a wing which has entirely disappeared. The house seems to have been abandoned after the death of the last male heir, Robert Hebburn in 1755.

The bastle-house is three stories high of ashlar, with a finish
suggestive of late 14th cent work. The ground floor consists of two vaulted chambers, and the entrance is a vaulted passage through the south wall, which is 9'4" thick. A doorway in the east side of this passage leads to a wheel stair, now ruinous, that gave access to the upper floors.

The first floor, the walls of which are 6ft thick, was divided into
three rooms, each with a fireplace and with mullioned and transomed windows. The windows are all (later) insertions.
The second floor is an attic contained in a roof that had two gables at each end. It has small square window and is apparently are construction of the late 16th cent. (2-4)

Architectural description correct. The smaller of the two chambers of the ground floor is built into the thickness of the east wall
with a square hole in the floor giving access to an underground or basement compartment the full extent of which could not be
determined.

The remains of the bastle are in fair condition although the upper part is overgrown with ivy. See photograph. (5)

Condition unchanged (6)

Hebburn Bastle. This is one of the oldest and most interesting of the "bastle" type of strong house in Northumberland and much more architectural character than its successors. Late C14 with some C16 alterations. See illustrations and detailed description of it in N.C.H. Vol. XIV. See also C J Bates's "Border Holds". (7)

Hepburn Bastle. Grade II*. Tower house, i.e. not a bastle. C15 with C16 and C17 windows. Dressed coursed stone. Tunnel-vaulted basement with two floors above. Chamfered plinth and further chamfered set back above 1st floor. 2 original slit windows to basement. Mullioned and mullioned-and-transomed windows above. Roofless and unoccupied at time of survey. Spiral stair has collapsed. First mentioned 1509. (8)

NU 070 249. Bastle house, Chillingham Park, Hepburn. Scheduled No ND/69. (9)

Listed Grade II* and Scheduled. (10-12)

Listed by King and Dodds. (13,14)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1926

( 2) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

CJ Bates 14, 1891 Page(s)23, 42, 302-4

( 3) by Edward Bateson 1895 A history of Northumberland, volume two : the parishes of Embleton, Ellingham, Howick, Long Houghton and Lesbury

A history of Northumberland15 vols (1893-1940) vol.2 Page(s)209, 828

( 4) edited by Madeleine Hope Dodds 1935 A history of Northumberland, volume fourteen : the parishes of Alnham, Chatton, Chillingham, Eglingham, Ilderton, Ingram and Whittingham, the chapelries of Lowick and Doddington

A history of Northumberland15 vols (1893-1940) vol.14 Page(s)347-50

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 EG 18-FEB-55

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 BHP 10-APR-69

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

Northumberland, AUG-1949 Page(s)8

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

Berwick upon Tweed, 25-JAN-1985 324 Page(s)29

( 9) English Heritage 1995 County list of Scheduled Monuments : March 1994

Northumberland Page(s)18

( 10) English Heritage Register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England

Northumberland (1985) Part 31

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

02-JUL-1999

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

Page(s)104-5

(13) 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)358

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