Description

16th century. 2-stage, circular-plan, tapering beehive dovecot set in private garden, to N of Parish Church. Walls approximately 4ft thick; external circumference approximately 60ft. Heavily-pointed rubble sandstone; rubble dressings. Continuous rat course/alighting ledge approximately 10 ft above ground. Square-headed doorway set beneath ground level to N; boarded timber door; sandstone lintel; low, rubble-coped wall to front. Stone-slabbed, shallow-domed roof with central aperture; iron finial/guard missing.

INTERIOR: walls fully-lined with 382 squared sandstone nesting boxes, arranged in 16 circular rows. Each nest approximately 7' high, 7' wide and between 12' and 14' deep. Circular flight opening centred in roof. Timber poles missing.

Statement of Interest

Overgrown and in state of disrepair 1998. Set within the garden of Auburn Cottage. The circular opening in the roof was originally guarded by a finial comprising a ring of iron spikes, forked at their upper ends - this has been removed and is now set in the garden of Auburn Cottage. Devoid of any ornament, the dovecot remains primitive in appearance and is a good example of its early type. Originally associated with Ninewells House - once home to David Hume and later replaced by a design by William Burn, 1839-41 (demolished 1964). See separate list entry for the later mono-pitched, lectern dovecot at Whitehall.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17571235

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

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  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
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  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
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  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)