Bog Hall Bastle, Rothbury Forest

Description

The following is an interesting description of Rothbury Forest as it appeared a century ago:- "The whole Forest, as it is still called, is dotted over with solitary farm-steads, from a quarter of a mile to a mile distant from each other. These houses, or rather strongholds, are very old, and are called Bastile buildings. The walls are in general about five feet thick, and the stones secured by strong cement, though sometimes mud has been used. The doors, which are low and narrow, are usually placed at the east end of the building ; the jambs are of stone, with holes to receive a single wooden bat, by which means the door was barred, and the cattle secured on the ground floor; the light was admitted through loop-holes. The second floor is supported either by a stone arch or thick oak joists; and was entered on the south by outside stone steps, the door being fastened as below. Near the fireplace, and directly above the vault-door, was a projection from the wall, contrived for the purpose of pouring down boiling water on the moss-troopers, who were assailing the building below." (Mackenzie) Not one of these strong houses remains at the present day. The last was probably "Bog Hall," which was demolished some years ago. (Dixon 1903)

All remembrance of the name Bog Hall appears to have vanished. Repeated enquiries in the district around Rothbury and in the town itself revealed no knowledge of the name nor of the bastle (F1 ASP 06-FEB-1957). (Northumberland HER)

Comments

SMR locates this in square NU0500, in modern Rothbury CP, but there is no 'Bog' place-name there. Rothbury Forest is and was a large area, certainly extending beyond the bounds of the modern civil parish. At NZ07299776 is a 'Bog House' shown on 1866 map, next to Bog Burn, 4km SSE of Rothbury. A slight field mark shows the site on modern air photos. The map shows a rectangular building within a small square field not untypical for the smaller bastles but hardly a building usually associated with the name 'hall'. Gatehouse suggests this as a location for Bog Hall although further research is required to confirm or refute this suggestion.