Details

The monument includes the standing and buried remains of a circular stone
dovecote, located 170m north east of Exton Road crossroads on rising land
behind the village. The dovecote is a Listed Building Grade II of 17th or 18th
century origin and is built of well-dressed grey stone. It has three stories
and is entered on the ground floor by a square headed door. There are two sets
of round headed windows; those on the first floor face east and west and are
larger than those on the second floor which face north and south. A
protruding slate string course is located close to the top of the walls,
immediately beneath the upper windows. The modern conical roof is of wooden
shingles with a wooden ball finial. The interior retains its nest boxes, with
projecting stone alighting ledges, although no potence survives.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

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 dovecote at Empingham is a well preserved example of a circular stone
dovecote which retains its nest boxes. The three storey elevation is unusual
in a circular dovecote of this date.

Source: Historic England