Dovecote near Pridhamsleigh

Historic England's scheduling record (list entry 1019241) describes a circular dovecote with a corbelled, domed roof, built of mortared limestone rubble on a small terrace of the steep hillside. It is also listed Grade II*. The dovecote is 6.28 metres across with walls 0.9 metres thick. The eaves are 4 metres high on the downhill side and 3 metres on the uphill side, and the domed roof rises a further 2 metres above a stone eaves drip, with remains of mortar render on the roof and walls. A round hole at the top lets the birds in, and the stone lantern over it was added in 1977 when the building was restored. It lies in the parish of Staverton, about 1.2 km east of Buckfast.

The dovecote is entered by a low Gothic arched door on the south side. Inside are 11 tiers of nesting holes, about 250 in all. Just east of the door a short length of limestone wall with a stepped foundation is what remains of a demolished building that abutted the dovecote.

Sources: Historic England list entry 1019241, which cites Copeland, 'Devon Dovecotes' (Transactions of the Devonshire Association, vol 41, 1937), and the Monuments Protection Programme dovecote assessment (1998).

• Period: Medieval
• Status: Scheduled monument (Historic England list entry 1019241)
• Grid reference: SX 7488 6777 (approximate, from the listing's coordinates)