Details

The monument includes the standing and below ground remains of Netherseal
dovecote, which stands on the south side of Church Street opposite Netherseal
Old Hall.
The dovecote, which is Listed Grade II*, was built in 1689 and forms an
irregular hexagon in plan. It is constructed of red brick with vitrified
headers. It has a blue brick plinth, a band of raised saw toothed bricks near
the eaves and a moulded brick cornice. The roof is hipped and tiled with a
central open wooden cupola, which also has a hipped conical roof.
The only openings are in the north east face and include an inserted, flat-
headed doorway and a small inserted window above it. There is also a similar
window in the south east face. On the north west side the original doorway can
be seen blocked up and above this is a date panel which reads RII 1686. The
internal walls are lined with brick built nest boxes, each tier served by an
alighting ledge which runs beneath it. Beneath each alighting ledge is a
decorative, brick, saw toothed band. In the centre of the dovecote is a brick
stand which supports the surviving potence and ladder. A potence is a
revolving structure with a ladder attached which was used to collect eggs at
all levels within the dovecote without having to touch the nests.
The barns which abut the dovecote on the east and west sides, where they
impinge on the monument's 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 Netherseal dovecote are particularly well
preserved. It is a good example of a late 17th century dovecote, being unusual
in terms of its shape and decorative detail. It also retains many of its
original features, including the wooden potence and ladder. The interior,
particularly the nesting boxes, the old ground surface beneath the dovecote
and any sub-surface features will all retain important archaeological,
ecofactual and environmental evidence. Taken as a whole, Netherseal 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