Baal Hill House, Dodd Hill Lane, Wolsingham, Durham
This farmhouse was originally built as a Bastle in the late 16th century. Bastles were similar to pele towers and were built in border areas where raids to steal animals were common. The house was built for defence with the front door on the first floor. The house is described in the 1879 trade directory as 'an ancient peel-house, or fort, which served as a watch tower, and a shelter both for man and beast during the raids of the northern moss-troopers'. It was occupied by the Angus family in the 1870s and 1880s.
