Dovecot, Swinton House is a Grade A listed building in the Scottish Borders local planning authority area, Scotland. First listed on 25 September 1998. Dovecot.

Dovecot, Swinton House

WRENN ID
former-remnant-khaki
Grade
A
Local Planning Authority
Scottish Borders
Constituency
Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk MP: John Lamont (Con)
Country
Scotland
Date first listed
25 September 1998
Type
Dovecot
OS grid reference
NT 814 468
Coordinates
55.71506, -2.29662
Source
Historic Environment Scotland listing

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

Description

The Dovecot at Swinton House dates back to 1746 and underwent repairs in the later 20th century. It features a circular plan with a conical roof that is topped by a conical-capped drum, which is partly timber and partly slated. The exterior is made of harl-pointed sandstone rubble, with some sections of whinstone, and has red sandstone dressings along with some brick repairs. There is a dividing rat course or alighting ledge and a moulded eaves course. The east elevation has a square-headed entrance, although the door is missing, and above it is a rectangular plaque inscribed with '1746'. There is also a part-blocked square-headed opening on the southwest side. The upper drum has arched flight holes and some projecting ledges, all covered by grey slate roofs.

Inside, there are 797 nesting boxes arranged in tiers along the walls, and the roof is open timber. The potence and ladders are missing.

Local climate

Dovecot, Swinton House receives an average of 820 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 52% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 82% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 30 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 64% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 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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  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
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  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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