On a recent trip to Evesham I stopped at this National Trust Property. The Kinwarton Dovecote is a (fairly rare in the UK) surviving circular 14th-century dovecote situated in Kinwarton, near Alcester in Warwickshire.  The dovecot is the only remaining structure from a moated grange that belonged to the Abbey of Evesham, which was close by.

The right to own and use a dovecot was a perk of being a Lord of the Manor.

There is evidence of a certain Robert Green gifting a dovecote to Abbot William de Boys of Evesham. There is no specific evidence that this is that dovecot but its the right age so it could well be.

The dating of the dovecot is based on the style of the doorway which is called a ‘ogee’ arch which have a sort of double S shape. The walls which are over 3 feet thick are built of rubble with plaster rendering.

The interior is lined with over 580 nesting boxes arranged in 17 layers. Access to the boxes was made possible due to the installation of a ‘potence’; a ladder which is made to pivot around a central post.

Above you can see the timbered roof and below an idea of the thickness of the walls can be gauged from this shot of the door way from inside the dovecot.

For more information visit the National Trust Site.

Yesterday I had reason to be driving to Evesham in Worcestershire. having an hour or so to spare I decided to visit Middle Littleton Tithe Barn which is a National Trust Property in a small village near Evesham.

A tithe barn was a type of barn used commonly across most of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithes. The tithe was paid by the villagers and farmers around a village and represented one tenth of a villagers income or a farm’s produce. As such the bulk of the tithe would be paid in the form of food or drink. The tithe was  was given to the Church to help maintain the local church. In exchange the locals received spiritual care, healing and education. Tithe barns were built to store all this produce and was often close to the village church.

One of the largest and finest 13th-century tithe barns in the country is Middle Littleton Tithe Barn. It was once part of a more extensive estate consisting of a Manor House, Church and surrounding farms and fields.  It is believed to date to circa 1250.

This out house once housed a cider press and behind it there is still an orchard between the Tithe Barn and the local church.

Upon the roof of the Tithe Barn is a Finial which was not just decorative but believed to keep away evil spirits.

The interior is a huge space. the roof is supported by what is called a raised cruck roof.

Here is another look at the roof structure:

For more on where the Barn is please follow this link…