Butlesdon House

Description

House, probably a bastle, formerly dated 1604, for Henry Johnson; single- storey extension later C17. Oldest part heavy rubble with roughly-shaped long quoins; extension squared rubble. Renewed pantile roofs; C20 brick stacks. Plan: oldest part 11 x 6.4 metres externally; side walls 0.9 metre thick, west end wall 1.12 metres.
South elevation: Main part 2 storeys, 2 bays, slightly irregular. Centre half-glazed door with 3-pane overlight in inserted doorway; 4-pane sashes to ground floor and 12-pane sashes above, all with timber lintels. At 1st floor level a blocked slit near left end and possible blocked door right of centre. Raised gable copings with triangular spandral stones; small right end stack. 1-storey 2-bay part to left shows renewed door, in worn chamfered surround, and C20 windows; similar gable coping at left end.
Right return shows blocked 1st-floor and attic windows. Left return of 1- storey part shows 2 blocked slits with blocked pitching door above.
Rear elevation: near right end of oldest part at 1st-floor level a small chamfered window with sockets for metal or wood grille; immediately right a blocked doorway, probably C18. 1-storey part shows central pair of doorways (left with boarded door, right blocked) with tooled-and-margined alternating- block surrounds; to right a C20 window inserted in old chamfered doorway.
Interior: 1-storey part has C18/early Cl9 fireplace with domed set-pot recess.
Historical note: In late C19 datestone and inscription 'H. Johnson' were recorded.
Altered rear wing and attached farmbuilding are not of special interest. (Listed Building Report)

The oldest part of Butlesdon House consists of a rectangular two storeyed block, 11m by 6.4m externally, with walls of heavy rubble with large roughly shaped quoins. The walls are of substantial thickness, the west end being 1.12m and the north wall 0.9m. The gable ends have heavy triangular coping stones. Most of the openings are of 18th or 19th century date, but at first floor level on the north, immediately west of a later wing, is a small squared window with a chamfered surround and sockets for a grille of heavy iron bars. Also at first floor level are traces of what may have been a similar window in the centre of the east gable and on the south a blocked slit near the west end of the wall and faint traces (the exterior is heavily pointed) of what may be a doorway, a little east of centre. Another first floor doorway on the north, at the west end of the wall, has a tooled lintel of 18th century character.
The County History relates that Henry Johnson acquired three farms at Low Buston from the Beadnells in 1601 and 1614. Also, that his two storey house at the west end of the village is still standing and let into its 3ft thick walls is a stone lettered 'H JOHNSON 1604'; the whereabouts of this stone is unknown.
It seems likely that from its overall proportions and the character of its surviving first floor openings, that Butlesdon House is in fact a bastle; the recorded datestone ties with the close range (1600-10) seen in the handful of other bastles that have datestones (Ryder 1994-5). (Northumberland HER)