Dovecot, Kirkgate, Chirnside

The Dovecot located on Kirkgate in Chirnside is a 16th-century, two-stage, circular-plan structure that tapers to a beehive shape. It is situated in a private garden to the north of the Parish Church. The walls are approximately 4 feet thick, with an external circumference of about 60 feet. The dovecot is constructed from heavily-pointed rubble sandstone, with rubble dressings. It features a continuous rat course or alighting ledge positioned around 10 feet above the ground.

There is a square-headed doorway located beneath ground level on the north side, which has a boarded timber door and a sandstone lintel, with a low, rubble-coped wall in front. The roof is shallow-domed and made of stone slabs, with a central aperture, although the iron finial or guard is missing.

Inside, the walls are fully lined with 382 squared sandstone nesting boxes, arranged in 16 circular rows. Each nest measures approximately 7 feet high, 7 feet wide, and between 12 and 14 feet deep. The roof has a circular flight opening at its center, but the timber poles are missing.