Bastle and farmhouse at Temon - geograph.org.uk - 1564404.jpg
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Bastel, bastle, or bastille houses are a type of construction found along the Anglo-Scottish border, in the areas formerly plagued by border reivers. They are fortified Farmhouse (building), farmhouses, characterised by security measures against Raid (military), raids. Their name is said to derive from the French language, French word ":wiktionary:bastille, bastille".


Characteristics

The characteristics of the classic bastle house are extremely thick Rock (geology), stone defensive wall, walls (about 1 metre thick), with the ground floor devoted to stable space for the most valuable livestock, animals, and a Vault (architecture), vaulted stone or flat timber floor between it and the first floor with internal access such as a stairway or ladder.Brunskill, R. W.. ''Houses and cottages of Britain: origins and development of traditional buildings''. Great Britain: Victor Gollancz in association with Peter Crawley, 1997. 28-29. Print. The family's living quarters were on the floor above the ground, and during the times before the suppression of the reivers, were only reachable by a ladder which was pulled up from the inside at night. The windows were small or even only arrow slits. Bastle houses have many characteristics in common with military blockhouses, the main difference being that a bastle was intended primarily as a family dwelling, instead of a pure fortification. Many bastle houses survive today; their construction ensured that they would last a very long time, but most are either ruined or much altered for use as residences or farm buildings. They may be seen on both sides of the Anglo-Scottish border. Some well-preserved examples are Thropton Pele, Bellingham, Northumberland, Hole Bastle, Hepple, Woodhouses Bastle and Black Middens Bastle House, Black Middens Bastle.


See also

* Architecture in early modern Scotland#Vernacular architecture (section) * Bastille * La Haye Sainte * Peel tower * Scottish Vernacular * Tower house * Tower houses in Britain and Ireland * Vernacular architecture


References


Bibliography

*Herman Gabriel Ramm, R. W. McDowall, Eric Mercer (1970)
'Shielings and Bastles.
' HMSO: London. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bastle House Bastle houses, Border Reivers Fortified houses History of Northumberland History of agriculture in England History of the Scottish Borders History of agriculture in Scotland Housing in England Housing in Scotland House types in the United Kingdom Human habitats Rural Scotland Scots language Vernacular architecture