Dovecot, Gifford Vale

Gifford Vale is a later 18th century mansion with early 19th century additions, featuring two storeys and an attic. The house is classically detailed and has a three-bay façade constructed from warm-coloured rubble with ashlar dressings.

On the south elevation, the three-bay, two-storey house is centrally located, with a moulded cornice. It is connected by recessed single-storey bays to taller square-plan pavilion stable blocks, one of which includes a hayloft. The centre bay is slightly advanced and features a pediment with a blind oculus surrounded by rope moulding and topped with an urn finial. The central doorway is architraved and corniced, with a decorative fanlight above it. There are windows on both floors in the flanking bays and one window on the first floor above the doorway.

The north elevation is finished in pink harling and includes a single-storey piend-roofed projection at the centre, which has windows on the west return and a door and window to the east. A modern conservatory roof extends along the ridge line. There are windows in each floor of the outer bays, with flat-roofed modern dormer windows above. A lean-to links the bays, which have irregular openings, and a garage door has been inserted into the west pavilion.

On the west elevation, there is a window at the centre of each floor, along with a small attic window. The linking bay is adjoined to the outer left side.

The east elevation features a ground floor window near the centre, with a linking block adjoining to the right. There is a small wheel-glazed oculus at the centre of the first floor, flanked by widely spaced windows in the outer bays, one of which is blinded. A small attic window is also present.

The sash and case windows have a 12-pane glazing pattern. The gable ends have ashlar stacks and ashlar coped skews, with grey slate roofing.

An outbuilding to the northwest is a square-plan, piend-roofed garden structure, dating from the same period as the pavilions, featuring a carriage entrance and a hayloft above. There is a later, lower addition to the south.

A lean-to dovecot, constructed from rubble and in poor condition, is located to the north of the house and has later additions. It features ashlar coped skews and grey slates, with a doorway to the south.

The property includes retaining and quadrant walls, with a low semi-circular ashlar coped drive retaining wall by the principal south elevation. Similarly detailed quadrant walls flank the corniced, simple ashlar gatepiers leading to the east driveway.