Dovecot 45 Metres East Of Manley Old Hall

The structure known as the Dovecot, located 45 meters east of Manley Old Hall, is a Grade II listed building. It was originally a gatehouse or porch for the original Manley Hall and has late Medieval origins. The building was converted into a dovecot, with a date of 1660, and repairs were recorded in 1799. It is constructed of dressed buff Manley sandstone, with the upper portion made of orange brick, and it currently has no roof. The building is square in plan and features a two-storey, one-bay west front. The foundations include a projecting course that may have supported a wooden bridge over the moat. Above this is a partly blocked doorway with a chamfered lintel, which bears a worn inscription that may read: "REPAIRED BY ....._..0_TEN OF THE INNER TEMPLE A.D. MDCCXCIX."

In the brick upper section, there is another worn stone plaque that possibly reads: "? ERECTED TO JOHN? SONNE TO ROBART AND ELIZABETH DAVIES OF ASHTON 1660." The rear of the building has the original doorway, also featuring a chamfered lintel. Inside, there is a stone stairway leading to the upper level, which retains up to five tiers of surviving nest boxes. The stonework shows joist holes from the original first floor. Historical accounts mention that John Davies drowned in the moat of Manley Hall, the outline of which is still visible today.