Dovecote at Manor Farm

Reasons for Designation

Dovecotes are specialised structures designed for the breeding and keeping of doves as a source of food and as a symbol of high social status. Most surviving examples were built in the period between the 14th and the 17th centuries, although both earlier and later examples are documented. They were generally freestanding structures, square or circular in plan and normally of brick or stone, with nesting boxes built into the internal wall. They were frequently sited at manor houses or monasteries. Whilst a relatively common monument class (1500 examples are estimated to survive out of an original population of c.25,000), most will be considered to be of national interest, although the majority will be listed rather than scheduled. They are also generally regarded as an important component of local distinctiveness and character.

The standing and buried remains of Barton in Fabis dovecote at Manor Farm are well preserved. The building retains a rare form of nest box design and construction using unusual materials and making use of local industrial processes. The dovecote will enhance our understanding of the construction and use of dovecotes in the area and their position in the wider landscape.

Details

The monument includes the standing and below ground remains of Barton in Fabis dovecote, a Grade II Listed Building. The dovecote stands in the yard of Manor Farm, adjacent to a small garden centre. The 17th century dovecote is octagonal in plan and is constructed of red brick with a stone band three quarters of the way up running around its circumference. The roof is conical and tiled with a wood and plain tiled louvre which still retains its working trap door. The louvre would have provided access to the dovecote for birds. The doorway, on the west side, is dressed with large ashlar blocks and is raised with stone steps leading up to it. The internal walls were originally lined with 1200 nest boxes but these only survive on five of the eight walls. The nest boxes, raised on a brick plinth approximately 1m from the ground, are unusual in that they are built of gypsum plaster pre-cast locally before being erected in the dovecote. An exposed section through the nest boxes illustrates that straw was used as a bonding agent in the casting process. Each tier of nesting boxes is served by an alighting ledge which runs beneath it. The dovecote was built in 1677 by William Sacheverell, lord of the manor, whose coat of arms survives inside the dovecote on the wall directly opposite the doorway. The building was restored by Nottinghamshire County Council in 1980 and during this work an inscription reading 1677 WS was found on the interior of one of the nesting boxes. All modern farm yard surfaces, within the monuments protective margin, are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 1 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

29947

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Other
Listed Building Information - Pigeoncote at Manor Farm,

End of official list entry

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