Hesleywell bastle, Hexhamshire. Photo by Peter Ryder.

A late 16th or early 17th century bastle stands near Hesleywell Farmhouse and is used as an outbuilding. It measures about 10m long by 7m wide and has stone walls over one metre thick. A number of original features can still be seen, such as the doorway (now a window), narrow openings, or slit vents, and original trusses in the roof. (1-3)

Bastle, late C16 or early C17. Heavy rubble with long roughly-shaped quoins; C20 asbestos roof. South (farmyard) elevation 2 storeys, 2 wide bays. Left of centre boarded door in stop-chamfered frame, in inserted opening; to right original doorway with monolithic triangular head, now blocked, with small window inserted. Above and to left, traces of original 1st floor door, with
blocked slit to left. Later farmbuildings to right not of interest.
Gabled left return shows blocked basement slit with chamfered set back above; rear shows ground and 1st floor slits with later 9-pane fixed window 1st floor left.
Interior shows 2 original principal-rafter roof trusses with slightly arched collars, 2 levels of purlins and diagonally-set ridge; notched multi-pegged joints. Unusually sophisticated carpentry for the area. Listed Grade II. (4a,b)