Haltwhistle Bastle 1 was originally a 16th or 17th century rectangular stone two storey defensible farmhouse. The bastle has been incorporated in a fine Georgian house but in the alleyway, the massive stones of its boulder plinth, can still be seen. The strong walls, with a removable stair up to the living quarters and a ground floor for stores and their livestock, provided a shelter from the cross-border reivers, until help arrived. Nearby are Haltwhistle Castle, Haltwhistle Tower and Haltwhistle Bastle 2-5.