Low Cleughs Bastle, Corsenside

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Lowcleughs; Cleughs Burn; High Cleughs; Low Cleughs

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

The bastle stands up to eaves height on a site next to a tributary of the River Rede. It measures 13.3m by 7.5m and its walls are up to 1.4m thick. Features such as square-headed doorways, drawbar tunnels and sockets survive as well as first floor windows. Together with the possibility that there may have been an attic storey, this larger than average bastle may have been of a higher status than most and may have belonged to a person of some status. Nearby are the earthwork remains of enclosures and smaller buildings which are thought to be contemporary with the bastle. Marked Lowcleughs on 1866 map. The surfit of names for this site suggest that the two sites at Highcleughs and Lowcleughs have become confused in some writers minds.

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 239450)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY87778673

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; 16918

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N7944

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N7944
    http://www.sine.newcastle.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=147
• Books
  • Carlton, Richard and Rushworth, Alan, 2004, 'Low Cleughs A bastle in its landscape' in Frodsham, P., Archaeology in Northumberland National Park (CBA Research report 136) p295-305
    Ryder, Peter, 2004, 'Towers and bastles in Northumberland National Park' in Frodsham, P., Archaeology in Northumberland National Park (CBA Research report 136) p262-271
    Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p321
    Pevsner, N., 1992 (revised by Grundy, John et al), The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London, Penguin) p632
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p357
    Ramm, H.G., McDowall, R.W. and Mercer, E., 1970, Shielings and Bastles (London) p85 No36
• Journal Articles
  • Weir, A., 1994. Archaeology in Northumberland 1993-1994, 13
    Weir, A., 1998. Archaeology in Northumberland 1997-1998, 20
• Other sources and unpublished works (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
  • The Archaeological Practice, 1998. Low Cleughs Bastle, a documentary assessment
    Ryder, P.F., 1991. Low Cleughs Bastle, Corsenside, Northumberland