High Coniscliffe The Old Hall

Gatehouse Classification - Bastle

Has been described as a Certain Bastle-house

There are major building remains

NameHigh Coniscliffe The Old Hall
Alternative NamesOld Hall Farm
Medieval CountyCounty Palatinate of Durham
Historic CountryDurham
Modern AuthorityDarlington
1974 AuthorityCounty Durham
Civil ParishHigh Coniscliffe

Late C17 farmhouse, the main interest is the northwest wing, dateable to C13. Similar in form to 'Borders' Bastle but of an earlier date and finer architectural detail. The northwest wing has a barrel vaulted ground floor and the remains of a corbelled-out gardrobe. Site is located at number 23, The Green. The ground floor of this part of the building has a fine vaulted stone ceiling and the remains of a garderobe.

Large house. Circa 1700 house with medieval wing on left rear. Medieval wing coursed rubble with pantiled roof. House painted roughcast masonry; pantiled roof with stone-flagged eaves; pebble-dashed chimney stacks. 2-storey, 5-bay house with raised-and-chamfered quoins. 6-panel door, in broken-pedimented stone surround,in fourth bay. Replaced 12-pane sashes with projecting sills and wedge lintels. Small square sundial with circular face and replaced gnomon above door. Blocked oval window, in cable-moulded surround, above sundial. Steeply-pitched roof with swept eaves, coped gables and shaped kneelers. End and ridge stacks. Medieval wing: 1.5-metre thick ground-floor walls; chamfered plinth and remains of corbelled-out garderobe, with later stone stair cut into side, on left return; alternating quoins, blocked doorway and small first-floor lancet (possibly ex-situ) on rear gable end; roof with brick rear end stack. Narrow 2-storey gabled stair wing, with replaced sash, on rear of house. Interior: medieval wing has barrel-vaulted ground-floor room with deep arched splay of former gable-end doorway. House contains a possibly reconstructed 2-flight dogleg staircase with closed string, square-section moulded handrail and balusters with 3 rounded knops. 2-storey, 2-bay addition on right of house is not of special interest. (Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

On the cusp but more a small bastle-house than a peel-house.

- Philip Davis

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNZ22531536
Latitude54.53317
Longitude-1.65327
Eastings422537
Northings515367
Length7m
Width6m
Dimensions Comment
VaultYes
Vault Comment
Orientation31
Orientation Comment
Wall Thickness 11.5m
Wall Thickness 2
Map
Holder
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Books

  • Salter, Mike, 2002, The Castles and Tower Houses of County Durham(Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 63 (slight)
  • Ramm, H.G., McDowall, R.W. and Mercer, E., 1970, Shielings and Bastles(London: HMSO) p. 66

Journals

  • Ryder, P.F., 1992, 'Bastles and bastle-like buildings in Allendale' The Archaeological JournalVol. 149 p. 370