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.

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 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.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
Listed Building Information - Pigeoncote at Manor Farm,

Source: Historic England