Hepburn Bastle, Chillingham

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hebburn; Hebburne; Hebborn; Heburn; The Bastile

In the civil parish of Chillingham.
In the historic county of Northumberland (Modern Authority of Northumberland, 1974 county of Northumberland).

The ruins of a medieval tower house of early C16 date situated within the grounds of Chillingham Park. It was modified in the later C16 or C17 and buildings were attached to it. It is commonly known as Hepburn (Hebburn) Bastle. The tower stands two storeys high plus twin gable ends to the east and west. It is rectangular in plan and measures about 16.6m by 10.8m externally with walls of tooled sandstone ashlar. Externally, there is a chamfered plinth and a chamfered set-back a little below eaves level. At basement level, the walls are about 2.7m thick, except for the east wall which incorporates a mural stair and is 3.5m thick. Internally, the ground floor comprises a barrel vaulted basement with a later fireplace in the north wall. At the east end, a doorway leads to a mural chamber. The first floor was divided into three rooms, each with a fireplace. The second floor, or attic level, is partially obscured by ivy but fireplaces, windows and a window seat are traceable. (Hepburn is a recent spelling introduced by the OS, Hebburn is the older spelling). Although often called a tower, even in contemporary documents this is a bastle house of the best quality rather than a peletower (would need to be 3 storeys) or pelehouse (The lower quality bastle); Described in the 1715 survey as "a handsome house bellonging to Robert Heburn, esq."

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 237528)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU07072488

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; 5723

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N3601

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N3601
    http://www.sine.newcastle.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=135
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p104-5
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p65
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p187
    Pevsner, N., 1992 (revised by Grundy, John et al), The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p230
    Rowland, T.H., 1987 [reprint1994], Medieval Castles, Towers, Peles and Bastles of Northumberland (Sandhill Press) p28-9
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p358
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p196-7
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p117
    Hugill, R.,1939, Borderland Castles and Peles [1970 Reprint by Frank Graham] p121-2
    Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1935, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol14 p347-50
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol2 p393
    Bateson, Edward (ed), 1895, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol2 p209, 828
    Bates, C.J., 1891, Border Holds of Northumberland (London and Newcastle: Andrew Reid) p23, 42, 302-4
    Hodgson, J.C., 1828, History of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) pt3 Vol2 p209
• Journal Articles
  • Hodgson, J.C., 1923-5, History of the Berwickshire Naturalist Club Vol25 p41-2
    Hodgson, J.C., 1916, 'List of Ruined Towers, Chapels, etc., in Northumberland; compiled about 1715 by John Warburton, Somerset Herald, aided by John Horsley' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser3] Vol13 p6
    Bates, C.J., 1887-8, Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle [new ser] Vol3 p337-8
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • 1541 Survey of the East and Middle Marches [Click here]
    1509 Survey of Tevedale [Click here]
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • Ryder, P.F., 1995. Towers and Bastles in Northumberland Part 2 Berwick district p8-10