Woodhouses Bastle
Bastle Harbottle Northumberland

Woodhouses Bastle

Bastle In Harbottle, Northumberland

A fortified farmhouse (Bastle) near Harbottle.

It doesn't seem you can go too far in north Northumberland without bumping into something that has been fortified due to threat of the border reivers.

However if you were a farmer, then you probably couldn't afford your own castle, so the next best thing was to reinforce what you already had to protect not only your family, but your livestock too.

A fortified farmhouse is called a bastle from the French word bastille meaning stronghold and this fine example is called Woodhouses Bastle.

Although it's on private land there is a permissive path up the side of the field for you to have a look.

To protect against the invaders entering the property the basement walls would be increased to 1.5m thick. The animals lived at this level with the family occupying the first floor. If you have a peep above the doorway you will see a spout, probably used for pouring hot stuff on the reivers.

There is an inscription of WP BP TAM and the WP is believed to refer to William Potte who owned this land. The date of 1602 most likely refers to when the fortifications were complete with the house probably built a hundred years earlier.

In the 18th century the bastle had an attic added with further restorations and also a new roof in 1904. Then between 1992-94 it was fully restored and opened to the public with the Northumberland National Park running guided open days.

With a little cow shed as a friend and these fabulous views, it mustn't be too bad being a bastle.

  Add To Bucket List   I Have Visited This Place

Get 3 points if you have visited this place. Already visited by 31 VIPs.

Login to the VIP area to add places to your bucket list, mark them as visited and more importantly see where you rank on the league table.

How To Find Woodhouses Bastle

Where Is Woodhouses Bastle?

Show Place On Google Maps

Lat / Long

55.296693, -2.05539

What three words

gourmet.endlessly.spenders

Where To Park For Woodhouses Bastle?

Show Parking On Google Maps

Lat / Long

55.295184, 55.295184

What three words

celebrate.decoding.pursue

There is a small parking bay just off the road next to an information board about the bastle.

Contributed by Simon Hawkins

Thanks for checking out this place on the Fabulous North! I do enjoy a wander out in to the countryside trying to find hidden gems that not many people know about. You can't beat a rogue pele tower up a remote hill, a mysterious stone circle or a stunning waterfall secluded in a forest.

More Places from Simon
Simon Hawkins

More Places In Harbottle

Find more fabulous places in Harbottle, Northumberland and if you know of a place we haven't listed, then let us know.

Harbottle Castle
Harbottle Castle
Castle Harbottle Northumberland

A ruined medieval castle situated at the west end of the village of Harbottle.

Harbottle Trig Point
Harbottle Trig Point
Trig Point Harbottle Northumberland

The trig point called Harbottle sitting on top of Cold Law (361m).

Lady's Well
Lady's Well
Religious Place Harbottle Northumberland

An atmospheric little pool surrounded by a grove of trees.

More Bastles

So this bastle wasn't enough and you want more? Don't worry we have you covered.

Rowantree Stob Bastle
Rowantree Stob Bastle
Bastle Allendale Northumberland

A ruined bastle which may not have been a bastle after all.

Shittleheugh Bastle
Shittleheugh Bastle
Bastle Otterburn Northumberland

A ruined bastle in Redesdale near Otterburn in Northumberland standing as a reminder of the tumultuous history of the borders.

Low Cleughs Bastle
Low Cleughs Bastle
Bastle Ridsdale Northumberland

A ruined 17th-century bastle, or fortified farmhouse, situated on a south-east slope of moorland on the edge Ridsdale.

Never Miss A Fabulous Place

If you are afraid of missing out on all the fabulous places we post, or just want to be the first to know, then sign up to the Fabulous North.

Each week we will email you all the brand new places that we visit.

Sign Up To Alerts
Sign up to newsletter
Fabulous North On Facebook

Find Us On Facebook

We post all our new places daily on our Facebook Groups page, so join the group today and be notified when we add a new place.

Join Our Facebook Group

Woodhouses Bastle was listed in Bastle // Northumberland // Harbottle