Dovecote Of Former Manor House

The dovecote of the former manor house in Willington dates from between 1535 and 1541 and was built by Sir John Gostwick, who served as Master of the Horse to Cardinal Wolsey and later as Treasurer and Receiver-General of the First Fruits and Tenths at the time of the Dissolution. Constructed from coursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, the materials may have been reused from Newnham Priory, which was dissolved in 1535. The dovecote features a clay tile roof and is a rectangular building divided into two square chambers by a central cross-wall. Both the cross-wall and the end gables have crow-stepped designs with moulded copings and kneelers. The roof is divided into two pitches by a band of wooden louvres.

On the south elevation, there is a small hipped dormer with a wooden mullion for the left-hand chamber, along with a small doorway for each chamber, both featuring 4-centred arches and moulded dripstones. The left-hand door has moulded stops, while the right-hand door is set higher and has a relieving arch. The east elevation includes a square-headed lancet. Inside, each chamber contains approximately 700 nesting boxes made of stone, with a brick lintel above each opening. The east chamber also has a two-stage potence.