Stable End and Yew Tree Cottage, Broomhaugh

Description

Solitary bastle, side walls 0.9m thick. Byre entrance in gable end. Present state - house (Ryder 1990)
Stable End stands on the west side of the single street of the old hamlet towards its south end. The main part of the house is a parallelogram in plan, c.11m by 6m externally, with side walls c.0.65m thick and end walls c.1m thick; at its south end is a slightly narrower addition 4.8m long. The main part of the house is a bastle; massive roughly shaped quoins are visible at the north east corner and at both western angles; the greater part of the front (east) wall has been rebuilt in smaller stone. Apart from a possible blocked slit vent at ground floor level in the rear elevation, all the external openings are later insertions. The front door has a shallow triangular arch and a chamfered surround; it is generally similar to the doorway of Yew Tree Cottage, adjacent to the north, which is dated '1699'; the windows are renewed small paned sashes of 19th century character. The only old internal features, apart from the unique door and doorway (see below) are a number of the heavy transverse beams carrying the first floor; these look of typical bastle character, although they may have been reset. At first floor level in the centre of the south wall (above the doorway) tapping the plaster suggests a blocked opening, presumably a window. Inside the house, by far the most important old feature is a doorway, complete with contemporary door, set centrally in the south end, and now opening into the southern addition. The addition, originally an outbuilding, was converted into part of the house in 1981. The doorway, long blocked, was noticed and re-opened at this time; the door, in its oak frame, was discovered concealed by the blocking; repaired, it remains in situ. The doorway is set centrally in the thickness of the wall; the external jambs are plastered over, but do not appear to have had any shaped stone dressings, whilst the lintel is of timber; internally the eastern jamb is plastered and the western of rough stone, and the lintels again of timber.
The door frame itself consists of uprights 0.15m by 0.13m in section, mortised into a head 0.12m high by 0.27m deep, with the front faces of head and posts being flush; the joints each have a single peg. Externally the frame has a continuous narrow chamfer. The lower 0.25m of each post, and the corresponding section of the door, is a recent replacement. The door itself consists of three oak boards 0.05m thick, linked by slip tenons (visible between the boards) and secured by two pegged ledges on the rear face. The front face shows a fairly regular pattern of small holes which once carried studs, presumably removed for reuse when the doorway was blocked up. The innermost of three boards is shaped at top and bottom so as to fit into sockets in the door head and the (renewed) threshold stone. This type of door is known as 'harr hung' and, whilst once common, is an extremely rare survival. The Stable End doorway is dissimilar from the majority of bastle doorways in that the door frame is of timber, and there is no dressed stone surround; however, its primitive character, evidence of studding and extremely substantial construction all suggest that it is contemporary with the building. It is thus probably a unique survival (Ryder 1994-5). (Northumberland HER)

Pair of houses. Stable End is late C16/early C17 bastle, remodelled when Yew Tree Cottage (dated 1699 with initials MV & TV, on lintel) added; both refenestrated early C19 when outbuilding to south of Stable End added, incorporated into house during alterations c.1970. Rubble, in places massive, with some dressings; slate roofs. East elevation: each house 2 storeys, 2 irregular bays. Off-centre renewed doors,chamfered (Stable End) and wave- moulded (Yew Tree Cottage) surrounds with flattened triangular heads in square frames; 12-pane sash windows. Original bastle quoins to right of Stable End; to left l-bay former outbuilding with 2 small windows. Coped gables, stepped stone ridge and right end stacks. Rear elevation: Yew Tree Cottage shows blocked 1st floor window in recessed chamfered surround. Interior: Stable End retains central byre entrance in south end (now opening into kitchen, in former outbuilding); this retains its original harr-hung batten door in pegged oak frame, a very rare survival. Heavy transverse ceiling beams and plain C18 (?) fireplace. Yew Tree Cottage has a similar fireplace with a strainer beam or sawn-off bressumer above; at 1st floor level a good fireplace of c.1699 with similar moulding; and similar head form to the doorway. (Listed Building Report)