Description

Dated 1746; repaired later 20th century. Circular-plan dovecot with conical roof surmounted by conical-capped, part timber, part slated drum. Harl-pointed sandstone rubble (whinstone in part); red sandstone dressings; some brick repairs. Dividing rat course/alighting ledge; moulded eaves course. Long and short surrounds to square headed entrance in E elevation (door missing); rectangular plaque above inscribed '1746'. Part-blocked, square headed opening to SW. Upper drum with arched flight holes; some projecting ledges. Grey slate roofs.

INTERIOR: 797 nesting boxes lining walls in tiers; open timber roof. Potence and ladders missing.

Statement of Interest

NOTES: Originally associated with Swinton House (see separate list entry). A good example of a circular-plan dovecot with the majority of its original features intact - the interior being particularly impressive. According to Niven, the nesting boxes comprise 8 tiers of 35, 8 of 34 and 7 of 35, making a total of 797. Each is 7?" wide, 7?" tall and 14" deep. The dovecot wall itself is recorded as 2ft9" thick, with an outside circumference of 61ft. In 1961, a broken potence and ladder of 11 rungs were still in place, whilst 4 flight holes were set in a board, in a window in the S side. All these have now gone, and the then roofless ruin has since been re-roofed, with new flight holes set in a part-boarded drum. See separate list entry for 'Dundas Castle, Dovecot - Dalmeny/Kirkliston Ward 3, Edinburgh' for similar structure.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17572357

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)