BOOK OF DOVECOTES 



both light and air. Inside, the nest-holes, well 

 designed and accurately built, usually covered 

 the entire surface of the walls. 



The " potence " we have seen in France, 

 and are to findagaininmanyEnglish instances, 

 as well as north of Tweed. But it was often 

 absent from the earlier Norman specimens. 

 The open centre'to the roof would render diffi- 

 cult the placing of a socket for the upper pivot 

 of the beam, and it is doubtful whether the al- 

 ternative framework of powerful cross-timbers 

 to support the upright was made use of until 

 later times. 



Gradually the circular dovecote was to some 

 extent displaced by the lighter and more orna- 

 mental style of the octagonal form, or by the 

 more easily built square or oblong pigeon- 

 house. Six-sided dovecotes, though compara- 

 tively rare, are not unknown, while at least one 

 English example was pentagonal. The walls, 

 too, come to be less massive; windows, either 

 in the walls or in the form of dormers in the 

 roof were introduced; while a cupola, lantern, 

 or "glover," crowned the whole. 



Stone was of course the first material, brick 

 38 



