Reivers - Bastles of the English Scottish Border
Fortified Farmhouses Built for Defence Against the Border Reivers
Feb 14, 2009 Thomas William Moss
In the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries the country on each side of the English\Scottish Borderline was the haunt of the Border Reivers. Initially through desperation in their dire want they began to steal cattle and sheep to supplement the meagre yield of their own holdings. In time they grew to love their dubious calling and took to the 'reive' with a relish. Within a very short time the Border folk knew no other way of life in an area were authority and government demonstrated little control.
The Bastle House Comes into its Own
By the middle of the 16th century the whole of the Border region was in turmoil. The reiving had escalated to a point where feud between the Border clans was rife and theft and murder were every day occurrences. As a result the poor man became poorer and, desperate to defend his meagre property but without the means to invest in the building of a Pele Tower as in former times, he cut his cloth according to his means and settled for a 'strong house'. Thus the Bastle came into its own. The word comes from the French 'bastille', a fortress. The bastle was a true product of its time and is to be found predominantly on the English side of the Border. Why? Probably because Scots incursions into England far outweighed raids in the opposite direction.
The Bastle is Built with Defence in Mind
The stones used to build the bastles were massive yet often they contained no mortar which was a material few men could source or afford. Rather the stones were held together with wedge-shaped off-cuts of of those that were dressed. This practice was known as 'galletting', a procedure which has stood the test of time as witnessed by the many bastles that still stand in partial ruin to this day. The roof tiles were made of heavy stone which were impossible to set on fire. Often the bastle had a vaulted basement as seen in the Pele Tower with the same heavy oaken studded door on the outside wall with an iron 'yett' or secondary door immediately behind it. Therein the resemblance ends. The vaulted ceiling of the basement had a trapdoor which accessd the living quarters on the floor above. The most valuable beasts including any horse would be quickly led into the vault in times of attack after which the inmate would access the living quarters by means of the trap-door. The ladder he used to achieve this would be drawn behind him in to the living space before the trap-door was slammed shut and bolted.
Access to the Living Quarters
Apart from the door into the vault there was no other means of access to the building at ground level. Instead entry into the living quarters, the second floor, was by means of a ladder to a door at that level which, again, was drawn up behind the owner of the house should a raid be imminent. Any reiver, bent on stealing the beasts or confronting the householders would be hard pressed to achieve his aim. He operated on stealth and surprise. The owner's neighbours would soon come to his aid should he be able to hold off the initial attack. The living room of the bastle, built along the lines of the far superior Pele Tower, contained the usual massive fireplace, was spacious and open but, at night, was used for makeshift bedrooms as well.
In the present day Northumberland and Cumbria there are many fine examples of the bastle house which have been renovated and are lived in. Dotted around the countryside though, there are many ruined and half-ruined examples which bear testimony to a more violent age.
Source:
by J.R. Cole.
The Debateable Lands
Towhouse Bastle, Tynedale, Northumberland
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Bastle House Chesterwood, Northumberland
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Bastle House Chesterwood, Northumberland
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Cambo Bastle House
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The Hole Bastle
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