Allendale; The Steel

Description

The Steel is a building circa 70 feet long which, almost unbelievably started life as a bastle-like building, and built, it is claimed, in 1547. Close inspection reveals some masonry, doors and quoins of the type closely associated with bastles. The oldest wals are only about 2.5 feet thick, but perhaps this was considered sufficient in the very early bastle-building days. (PastScape ref Dodds 1999)

At the beginning of the 20th century The Steel lay derelict. Since then it has been restored and extended using material from more than a dozen different buildings across the country. The oldest part of the house is built of large stones but the walls are not particularly thick, only 0.6m to 0.7m. An upper doorway on the north side may be an original feature and suggests this building may derive from the bastle-building tradition and date to the late 17th century. (Keys to the Past)

Probably a bastle-derivative house 21m by 5.5m; arched upper and lower doorways placed more or less centrally in each long wall; a puzzling building, but much restored. (Ryder 1992)

Dodds comment about thinner walls being considered sufficient in the very early bastle-building days is nonsense. It is more probably the 1547 date is erroneous or refers to an earlier building on the site.