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Newton Underwood nr Mitford

Newton Underwood

Last Updated:

18 Oct 2024

Newton Underwood nr Mitford

This is a

Settlement, Bastle House, Earthworks

55.169177, -1.767603

Founded in 

Medieval

Current status is

Partly Preserved

Designer (if known):

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Ruins listed Grade II

Newton Underwood is an absolute feast for the eye. The ridge and furrow covers the whole surroundings. Now little is known about the area. I've read through a few suggestions about this place, and the consensus is that it was a defended medieval settlement. It's enclosed by earthworks and was potentially founded in the 12th or 13th century on cleared woodland.

It shows up in sources from 1240 servicing the barony of Mitford. Given it's next to a main road to the village, Hewitt (2002) states it's likely it was an important satellite outpost for Mitford Castle.

Now the medieval settlement may have centred around this site we're looking at. There are ruined structures of medieval date on both sides of the cottage. Local tradition dictates this was a bastle or tower house - effectively a fortified farmhouse which was bolstered to protect the village folk from Scottish raiders. Its design is stated to be unconventional to others, perhaps making it a rare example of a local vernacular.

It supposedly dates to the 14th century and was probably built by the Eures family. They were an influential family in the north with William, a couple centuries later being the Governor of Berwick and were present during the Rough Wooing. Therefore, this could have easily been one of their houses with easy links to other families and the borders. Dodds states it was supposedly abandoned in 1632, and has remained in this state since.

Listing Description (if available)

Ruins probably medieval; cottage C18. Squared stone; pantile roof. Cottage 2 low storeys, 3 bays, irregular. Right-of-centre vertical-panelled door flanked by Yorkshire sashes, that to left having lost its carpentry as have 3 small windows directly beneath the eaves. Brick end stacks. To left outbuilding has cart entrance and door with timber lintels. To right, slightly set forward, ruined wall 2m. thick with large semicircular arch; roughly-shaped voussoirs. Left and right returns of cottage and outbuilding show reverse- stepped gables. Rear elevation; outshut to cottage, to left ruined wall of large rectangular blocks. The ruined structure, formerly known as the 'Old Walls' does not appear to have been a conventional tower house. Hodgson wrote (Part II, Vol II, 72) that c.1800 there were two similar arches adjoining .... on the east.

Both Ordnance Survey maps shown illustrate Newton Underwood through the 19th century.

There are a number of interesting features shown on both. Firstly, the tower remains are referenced on both next to the old cottage/farmhouse now named "The Bastle", with part of the old walls utilised for a small shed or barn. The two separate farm complexes are shown too, with that on the north west featuring a gin gang - a horse engine, on its west elevation. The likely centuries old village pond is extant with a well to provide the village a fresh water supply, however this has now fried up. You'll notice too the land is surrounded by small springs making this the perfect site for a settlement. To the north is the River Font aside old quarries old coal shafts. To the west are further quarries and farmhouses. It makes for an interesting historic landscape seemingly utilising the land for their every need. It was very much a self sustaining community one time over.

This is one of the rare occasions an Ordnance Survey map doesn't present the full picture of the subject. The earthworks and ridge and furrow systems are seldom seen, however it helps underpin how little this place has changed in a century and a half. Nearly all these buildings are still extant.

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This is Newton Underwood looking east in August 2024. The farmhouse, tower arch and fortified house is shown in the top of centre - the walls of which prominent. Lightwater Farm House is on the right.

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The Bastle Farm with the fortified building to its right. The arch is just out of shot behind the house. The ridge and furrow field systems are extensive, and some earthworks can be seen in the fields above and below the cottage. They are all indicative of the medieval settlement here.

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The west of the village looking south in August 2024. Visible is a prominent rectangular earthwork outlined here (https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=N11063&resourceID=110), however no one is sure of its exact nature. It is not from any modern construction. To the right on the shot is the original village pond now dried up.

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