Smaller Dovecote at TQ 822 529 in grounds of former Leeds Priory is a Grade II listed building in the Maidstone local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 December 1984. Dovecot.
Smaller Dovecote at TQ 822 529 in grounds of former Leeds Priory
- WRENN ID
- outer-foundation-alder
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Maidstone
- Constituency
- Faversham and Mid Kent MP: Helen Whately (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 14 December 1984
- Type
- Dovecot
- Address
- Smaller Dovecote at TQ 822 529 in grounds of former Leeds Priory, Lower Street
- OS grid reference
- TQ 822 529
- Coordinates
- 51.24616, 0.6096
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Smaller Dovecote, located in the grounds of the former Leeds Priory, dates from the mid-16th century. It is constructed of red and vitreous brick in English bond, featuring decorative diaper work. The south-west corner has ashlared stone quoins. The dovecote is rectangular, measuring approximately 20 feet wide and 18 feet long, with a height of about 10 feet and walls that are approximately 3 feet 6 inches thick.
At the base, there is a galletted stone plinth topped with chamfered stone coping. The roof has collapsed. A narrow door, less than 5 feet high, is situated towards the north end of the east wall. This door has an architrave made of ashlared ragstone with a three-centred arched head, plain chamfer, and broach stops. Inside the architrave, there are iron hooks for the door, and a broad oak lintel supports the structure.
Inside, the dovecote contains nesting boxes that extend from the floor to the eaves, except in the north wall, which has been rebuilt internally. There are eleven vertical boxes, each with continuous brick ledges at the mouths of each row. The dovecote is positioned roughly one yard south of, and aligned with, a larger dovecote. It is scheduled as an Ancient Monument.
Local climate
Smaller Dovecote at TQ 822 529 in grounds of former Leeds Priory sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 79% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 61% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 26 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 72% of listed buildings. Of these, 12 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings