High Rochester North Bastle

Description

Two pele towers built of Roman masonry (Tomlinson 1902).
NY 83259858 and NY 83279865 Plan shows two rectangular buildings, each annotated 'Peel House' (Dodds 1940).
'A' - NY 83279865. A private dwelling house constructed of large roughly hewn stone blocks. The overall measurements of the building are 10.4m x 6.6m with walls 1.2m thick at ground level. There are no traces of the original entrance, windows or access to the upper storey.
Both buildings are situated in a defending and commanding position, similar constructions in this county have been attributed to probably 16th or 17th century and classified as defended houses' or 'strong houses' in purpose. An examination of the building material showed no Roman tooling or evidence of Roman origin (F1 FDC 10-SEP-1956).
'A'. The only remains of the original bastle would appear to be a plinth of large hewn stones along the base of the modern north wall (F3 SA 26-MAY-1977).
Bastle incorporated in Rose Cottage, High Rochester (north bastle). Probable bastle; rectangular building 10.2m x 6.6m. Lower part of north wall of massive blocks, some re-used Roman material, with broad splayed plinth; thickness c.1.1m. South wall of squared and coursed rubble but also appears 0.9m+ thick. Blocked doorway at first floor level in west end, without cut dressings. All other features 19th and 20th century. Interior not seen. Within Roman fort (F4 PFR 05-JUL-1990).
Excavations at High Rochester in advance of laying of essential services to south west bastle in 1981, carried out by Beryl Charlton. Service pipes run along the known Roman roads within the fort of Bremenium, septic tank sited on Via Quintana. Finds and excavation report deposited with Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle University (copy in parish file T40) (Charlton 1981).
Late 16th or early 17th century. Built of random rubble and sqaured Roman stone with Welsh slate roof. This cottage was clearly also a bastle but it something of a puzzle. The exceptionally regular masonry at the rear is interpreted by the RCHME as the only remains of the original bastle. However, it is not typical bastle masonry, while the very thick front wall is in the more usual random rubble of the bastle period. It seems possible that the back wall is in fact a remnant of an earlier building. The front has a 20th century door and windows in 18th or early 19th century openings. The back has a ghastly 20th century window (Grundy 1987). (Northumberland HER)

Cottage. Probably C16 or C17 incorporating medieval masonry, altered C18 or early C19. Random rubble and squared stone, including re-used Roman stones and large squared medieval stones; Welsh slate roof. Two storeys, 2 broad bays with central door. C20 door and sashes in C18 or early C19 openings. Gabled roof with flat coping. Renewed brick end stack and corniced ridge stack. Very large roughly-chamfered plinth to rear.
Walls c.4 ft. thick on ground floor, a little thinner above.
Within the walls of High Rochester Roman Fort. (Listed Building Report)