BOOK OF DOVECOTES 



It is built of local lias stone, much mixed with 

 rubble, and there are remains of rough-cast on 

 the outer surface of the walls. It is lighted by 

 a very small window-slit; and the roof, cover- 

 ed with stone slabs and now reported as in bad 

 repair, is crowned by a small, square, four- 

 pillared cupola. The walls are about two feet 

 thick, the doorway of fair size. The want of 

 thickness in the walls is an argument against 

 the age of this specimen being anything ap- 

 proaching that of Garway, for it is a sound 

 general rule that the thicker the walls the 

 older the dovecote. 



Inside are eighteen tiers of nests, with an 

 alighting-ledge to every second tier; two more 

 tiers are now almost hidden by the raising of 

 the earthen floor. The number of nest-holes 

 is about six hundred and fifty. The potence, 

 though not now in working order, still remains, 

 bearing one arm. 



Littleton, not content with the possession 

 of the largest dovecote in the county, once 

 established pigeons in the church. Here, ex- 

 tracted from the churchwardens' accounts of 

 the parish, are particulars concerning the ar- 



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