The Dovecote
The Dovecote is a grade II scheduled monument. In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. A site that is scheduled is protected by law and no structures or trees can be planted on the site without permission as the land beneath plus any artifacts could be destroyed. Sometimes as in this case the scheduling can include the view of the building. However those visiting the site will notice trees have been planted meaning that the land beneath will have been disturbed. the dovecote is located in a field on the north side of Copp Lane just outside the village. The building includes a rare 'rat course'.
This is a grade II listed building listed in 1998 and has a legacy listing with English Heritage of: 469242
The dovecote was built in the late 18th Century although it does have a late 20th Century replacement of the roof structure. It is built of red brick, with a tile rat course at the mid-wall level, and a Welsh-slated pyramidal roof with a square ogee-roofed cupola. The building is of a square plan, with doorway to the east side and a window above, both with shallow segmented brick arches. It has a studded plank door, hung from straps set on pins attached to ashlar sandstone blocks set into doorway jambs. It has a blocked over light to the door head. At door head level, and extending around all elevations, a double course of tiles form a rat course'. The rat course stops rats running up the building to attack the doves and pigeons.
the interior is consists of each wall having 10 rows of nesting boxes, 9 boxes to each row, although internal alterations have damaged some areas. The rarity of this interior becomes apparent when you look at the damage. In Edwardian times the Dovecote was used as a shippen to house cattle. this has damaged some of the nesting boxes. The building as a whole is listed therefore the shippen cannot be removed without damaging it. Therefore it remains an anomoly. some years ago a local resident wanted the building to be renovated but this would have caused issues due to interior.