Burnbank Bastle, Tarset (The Gatehouse Record)

In the civil parish of Tarset.
In the historic county of Northumberland.
Modern Authority of Northumberland.
1974 county of Northumberland.
Medieval County of Northumberland.

OS Map Grid Reference: NY79098757
Latitude 55.18186° Longitude -2.32970°

Burnbank Bastle, Tarset has been described as a probable Bastle, and also as a Pele Tower although is doubtful that it was such.

There are masonry footings remains.

Description

Burnbank is situated between the Tarset and Tarbet Burns on a small gently sloping plateau with steep slopes on three sides and the fourth protected by a marsh separating it from a slightly higher part of the hillside. Across this fourth side runs a ditch and beside it lie the foundations of a range of buildings about 18'0" wide internally and terminating in the base of a square stone tower-like structure. The edge of the marsh nearest to the tower was embanked by a retaining wall, providing an approach to the plateau and at the same time holding up water in the marsh.
Except for a short continuation of this retaining wall the edges of the plateau are not protected but doubtless they were once protected by a stockade.
The remains seem to be those of one of those farms who populated Tynedale in the reign of Allexander III (1249-1286). After being destroyed in the Scots War the square building, probably the camera end of a typical manor house, may have been made into a small tower house. Without excavation it is difficult to say whether the place was inhabited till a small 17th cent farmhouse was built nearby, on the site now occupied by West Burnbank and its gardens (Dodds 1940).
Remains of a rectangular building, 18.0m long, 6.0m wide, reduced to a low bank of loose stones, turf covered. Three contiguous rectangular buildings extended from the east end, each measuring 4.0m long by 6.0m width, now similarily reduced to fragmentary banks. A broad ditch runs along the north side of the foundations, across the width of the promontory. Remains of the retaining wall are extant upon the S edge of the promontory (F1 ASP 09-JUL-56).
The Dodds family occupied a tower or bastle at Burnbank in the 16th and 17th centuries (Dodds 1999). (PastScape)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s) 15694.
County Historic Environment Record (or Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) N6997.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- Tarset Archive Group
Books
- Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Newcastle upon Tyne: Keepdate Publishing) p. 295
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 346
  Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p. 83
  Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p. 75
  Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol. 15 p. 249
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- The Archaeological Practice Ltd., 2004, 'Tarset and Greenhaugh Northumberland an archaeological and historical study of a border township' Northumberland National Park Historic Village Atlas p. 42-3 (slight) (The Northumberland National Park Authority) online copy

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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