Dovecote Approximately 100 Metres South East Of Great Yeldham Hall

The dovecote, located approximately 100 metres southeast of Great Yeldham Hall, dates from the 16th century and was altered in the early 19th century. It is timber framed, with the upper half of the walls plastered and the lower half weatherboarded. The roof is covered with handmade red clay tiles. The structure has a square plan and features large gablets open to the east and west, with an entrance door on the west side. Originally, the infill of the timber frame was made of wattle and daub, and lines of large pegholes indicate that the nesting boxes were wooden. In the early 19th century, the infill was replaced with purpose-made slabs of clay lump, and new nesting boxes were constructed from the same material, with red clay tiles used as ledges. The dovecote was still in use at the time of the survey in January 1984.