Dovecote And Flanking Walls In Stable Yard At Penheale

The dovecote and flanking walls in the stable yard at Penheale date from the 18th century. They are constructed from stone rubble with dressed stone quoins. The dovecote features an octagonal slate roof with deep overhanging eaves and an octagonal slate cap.

The dovecote has an octagonal exterior and a circular interior. It was likely originally designed with two stages, featuring a line of large recesses at ground floor level, which may have been used for geese, with nesting holes above that could have been for hens. The bolins, or nesting boxes for pigeons, are located in the top stage, with an access hole provided in the roof. The roof was renewed in the 1980s, following the design of the original structure.

On the exterior, the dovecote has two stages, with a dressed stone segmental arch for the entrance and a similar door opening directly above it. This entrance is flanked by unglazed windows with timber frames. A slate string runs near the top on all faces. The octagonal slate roof is topped with a slate cap that has a continuous access hole for the pigeons, supported by corbelled brackets that are part of the radiating trusses of the roof structure.

The high stone rubble walls that flank the dovecote have battlemented tops and form the south wall enclosing the stable yard. Inside, the floor and potence have been removed, revealing a line of large niches at floor level with nesting holes above, likely intended for hen boxes. Above this line, there are several rows of bolins for the pigeons.