Killhopeburn Shieling

In the civil parish of Stanhope.
In the historic county of Durham; County Palatinate of (Modern Authority of Durham, 1974 county of County Durham).

Small defensive house only 4.5m square internally with wall 0.9m thick. A section of thick walling with massive blocks in the adjacent range,suggests an extension still within the 'bastle' period. The whole object is in a very neglected condition. Bastle house with cowhouses added, now cowhouse and implement store. Late C16 and later. Roughly-squared sandstone rubble; roofs of Welsh slate and stone flags, with corrugated iron rear pent roofs. 2 storeys, 5 bays. Oldest central one-bay bastle has massive irregular quoins, the lowest 1m wide; C20 door under thin wood lintel; blank above. Boarded vehicle and store-room doors in left part, and loft doors above. Higher right part has chamfered stone lintel to left doorway; 3 first-floor boarded loft openings. Interior of right part shows low round-headed doorway of bastle, with massive irregular chamfered monolith arch and jambs. Right building has closely-spaced massive beams.

This site has been described as a;
Bastle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 404850)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY83544176

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 1396170

County Sites and Monuments Record number; D3954

Web site links
- http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=D3954
Books
- Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham (Malvern) p63 [slight]
  Ryder, P.F., 1994. Bastles in Weardale. The Bonny Moor Hen

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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