Black Middens Bastle 2

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Black Middings

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

The remains of a bastle at Black Middings. Most of the walls of which now stand only to a few courses, is the usual rectangular structure, measuring 9.5m x 7.5m, with a small walled enclosure to the north east. It is identified as a former bastle because of the thickness of its surviving walls which, in places, are over 1m wide. The east wall survives up to 2m high. It is probable that the bastle was constructed in C16, the same time as the neighbouring Black Middens bastle.

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 scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY77389001

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; 15886

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N7071

• Web site links
  • http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N7071
• Books
  • 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)
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles and Tower Houses of Northumberland (Malvern) p117 [slight]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2
    Graham, Frank, 1976, The Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Frank Graham) p72
    Ramm, H.G., McDowall, R.W. and Mercer, E., 1970, Shielings and Bastles (London) p91, no.60
    Long, B., 1967, Castles of Northumberland (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) p69-70
    Dodds, Madeleine Hope (ed), 1940, Northumberland County History (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) Vol15 p271