Haggerston Dovecote

In the civil parish of Ancroft.
In the historic county of Durham; North (Modern Authority of Northumberland, 1974 county of Northumberland).

SMR report reads 'This circular building may originally have been a tower used to shelter cattle from Scottish raiders. It is then thought to have been converted into a windmill and then a dovecote, sometime between C17 and C19. It has a conical roof, built of timber, and roofed with stone tiles, though it is badly damaged. It contains over 500 brick nesting boxes and the remains of a rotating ladder which was used to reach the boxes.' The SMR include this in a listing titled 'castles, forts and defence' It certainly seems to be a solid circular tower. If built to protect cattle then this is a defensive structure but is it a fortification?

This site has been described as a;
Uncertain.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 237887)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NU03524359

Modern Map from

Good for landscape form and features

Modern Map from

Good for general location

Air Photo from

1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 6527

County Sites and Monuments Record number; N4031

Web site links
- http://www.keystothepast.info/durhamcc/K2P.nsf/K2PDetail?readform&PRN=N4031
Books
- Pevsner, N. et al, 1992. The Buildings of England: Northumberland (London) p297

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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This record last updated on Friday, April 6, 2007

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