Lingyclose Bastles

Description

Bastle 1: extended, 9.2m long x 6.4m wide, side wall 0.95m thick, end wall 1.35m thick. Byre entrance in gable end. Bastle 2: 10.5m long x 6.2m wide, side walls 0.7m thick, end wall 0.9m thick. Byre entrance in gable wall (Ryder 1986).
The remains of the former farm of Lingy Close stand a little under 300m OD on the east side of the valley of the South Tyne, on a shelf of land commanding wide views of the valley. The ruins consist of an extended bastle and a smaller 18th or 19th century building, perhaps a barn, a little to the south. The phase I bastle, aligned along the contours, measures 9.2m by 6.3m externally, and is constructed of massive roughly squared blocks of sandstone on a boulder plinth; the side walls are 0.95m thick and the end walls c.1.3m. Parts of the north and west walls stand to c.4m high; apart from this the only part to stand above the footings is the central part of the south end, containing the byre doorway, which has chamfered jambs; the doorhead has fallen (it lies in front of the doorway and could be replaced) although one of the inner lintels remains in position. There is a central splayed slit vent (blocked) in the north end of the basement and a secondary doorway, later reduced to a window, near the north end of the west wall; south of this one jamb are remains of another splayed loop.
The phase II bastle is the same width as the earlier building and c.10.5m long; the walling material is similar but the walls noticeably thinner (side walls 0.7m, south end 0.9m); the walls are ruinous except for the lower part of the south end, which retains its central byre doorway which is square headed with a chamfered surround; there is a drawbar tunnel in the internal east jamb and a timber inner lintel having a socket for a harr set on the west (left). Inside the bastle are tumbled remains of a cross wall which is probably secondary. Although the remains are in a ruinous condition (and the north gable urgently in need of attention if further collapse is to be avoided) Lingy Close demonstrates the layout of an extended bastle, free of any later enlargements, with both bastles preserving their byre doorways (Ryder 1994-5). (Northumberland HER)

Comments

Although the two bastles are of slightly different dates they adjoin and are clearly part of the same complex and are usually considered as one site.