Dovecot, Mavisbank House is a Grade A listed building in the Midlothian local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 14 September 1979.

Dovecot, Mavisbank House

WRENN ID
cold-transept-wagtail
Grade
A
Local Planning Authority
Midlothian
Constituency
Midlothian MP: Kirsty McNeill (Lab)
Country
Scotland
Date first listed
14 September 1979
OS grid reference
NT 293 657
Coordinates
55.87963, -3.13019
Source
Historic Environment Scotland listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

This is a tall, circular doocot, built in 1738. It is constructed of random sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings. The upper third of the structure is missing, and the roof is gone. A string course runs around the building about two-thirds of the way up. On the southeastern face, there is an oculus with a cill course below. A similar cill course is present on the northwestern face, but without an opening. A sunken doorway, with a relieving arch above, is located on the southwestern face, and a full doorway with a relieving arch sits directly above it.

Inside, the walls are rubble construction, and there are no floors or nesting boxes remaining. The doocot was an integral part of the designed landscape around Mavisbank House. Originally, three radial avenues and a canal extended from the house, with the central axis terminating at this circular doocot located northeast of the main house. The oculus' design echoes features found in the pediment and pavilion wings of Mavisbank House and the former Jointure House in Loanhead.

The doocot is part of a group of buildings that includes Mavisbank House, a gazebo, walled gardens, an ice house, a game larder and the East Lodge on Kevock Road, Lasswade.

Local climate

Dovecot, Mavisbank House receives an average of 960 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 74% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 52% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 39 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 74% of listed buildings. Of these, 23 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

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Nearby listed buildings

  1. East Lodge, Mavisbank House Grade C 188 m
  2. 16 Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade B 198 m
  3. Conservatory, Eskgrove, 3 Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade B 292 m
  4. Eskgrove, 3 Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade B 304 m
  5. Mount Esk, 11 Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade B 308 m
  6. Crawford Bank, Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade C 325 m
  7. Cart Shed And Stables, Crawford Bank, Kevock Road, Lasswade Grade C 339 m
  8. House And Gate, Wadingburn Road, Lasswade Grade B 345 m
  9. Barony House, Wadingburn Road, Lasswade Grade A 350 m
  10. Carlethan House, Wadingburn Lane, Lasswade Grade C 369 m