Starsley Pele, Kielder Water

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

The remains of a small farm with ruined stone buildings now lies submerged beneath Kielder Water reservoir. When it was first recorded it was suggested a ruined small square stone building might be a pele. Further work in the 1970s, before the site was demolished and flooded, showed that the building was larger with several enclosures nearby, and was most probably a small post-medieval farm. The building did not seem to have been built for defensive reasons, with walls only 0.8m to 1.1m thick. King and Dodds record as Bastle.

This site has been described as a;
Bastle
Pele Tower.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Nothing visible remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY70168824

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; 15786

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N6976

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N6976
• Books
  • Dodds, John F., 1999, Bastions and Belligerents (Keepdate Publishing) p290
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p160
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p160
• Journal Articles
  • Harbottle, B. and Newman, T.G., 1973. 'Excavation and survey on the Starsley Burn, North Tynedale, 1972' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser5] Vol1, 137-75
    Dixon, P.W., 1972, 'Shielings and bastles: a reconsideration of some problems' Archaeologia Aeliana [ser4] Vol50 p257