2-708-252 - Historic England Archive/Heritage Images

Bothal Castle, Northumberland, c1955-c1980. A general view of the village of Bothal, showing Bothal Castle with the gatehouse on the right, and Garden House and the roofs of smaller houses in the village, further left in the background, seen from the west. The castle gatehouse is a c1343 addition built by Robert Bertram, most likely after give a licence to crenellate. It was later restored after being ruined between 1830 and 1831, with additional work in the 19th and 20th centuries carried out for residing families. The gatehouse has a rectangular plan, with octagonal turrets flanking the north entrance, and a square south-west stair tower, seen in the image. In front of the gatehouse is a high curtain wall that joins onto the west wing and tracks around the ground to the south, which also dates to the period of crenellation. To the norh of the curtain wall is a west range of a 19th century garden wall. Further north is the Garden House, a 19th century house of tooled stone with ashlar dressings. The west front is two storeys wih four bays, the outer two of which are cross gabled bays, the southern range taller then the north. In the background, partially obscured by trees, are roofs of smaller houses, such as the 19th century estate cottages.