Scheduled Monuments›England›Dovecote at Rousham House

Dovecote at Rousham House

England
List entry 1017324
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1017324
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.01 hectares
Grid reference
SP4794124188
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Dovecote at Rousham House is a stone-built pigeon house situated within the grounds of Rousham House near Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire. Dating from the eighteenth century, the structure reflects the practical agricultural needs of the estate during this period, when dovecotes were valued features of country house properties. The building is constructed of stone and exhibits the characteristic design typical of Georgian-era dovecotes, serving as both a functional structure for maintaining a pigeon population and a designed ornamental element within the landscape. The dovecote remains a significant example of vernacular estate architecture and contributes to the historical understanding of Rousham's development as a substantial Oxfordshire property.

Dovecote at Rousham House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1017324. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dovecote at Rousham House?

Dovecote at Rousham House is a stone-built pigeon house situated within the grounds of Rousham House near Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1017324.

Who is responsible for protecting Dovecote at Rousham House?

Dovecote at Rousham House is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1017324.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dovecote at Rousham House?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Long barrow 730m south west of Enslow Bridge (6.2 km), Rectangular earthwork, Hensington (6.7 km), Shipton-on-Cherwell churchyard cross (7.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Dovecote at Rousham House

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Dovecote at Rousham House's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Long barrow 730m south west of Enslow Bridge
6.2 km
Rectangular earthwork, Hensington
6.7 km
Shipton-on-Cherwell churchyard cross
7.6 km
Deserted village of Hampton Gay
7.8 km
Section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch and a section of Akeman Street Roman road immediately south east of North Lodge in Blenheim Great Park
7.8 km
Bowl barrow 350m south west of Furze Platt Farm in Blenheim Great Park
7.8 km
80m section of the north Oxfordshire Grim's Ditch 150m WSW of Ditchley Gate in Blenheim Park
7.9 km
Blenheim Villa, a Roman villa and associated field system 200m north east of Little Cote
8.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dovecote at Rousham House

Dovecote at Rousham House stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Dovecote at Rousham House

AlchesterRoman town · ~6.3 milesDorchester-on-ThamesRoman town · ~19.6 milesTowcesterRoman town · ~20.2 milesBattle of Cropredy Bridge 1644Battle (1644) · ~13.9 milesBattle of Edgcote 1469Battle (1469) · ~14.5 milesBattle of Edgehill 1642Battle (1642) · ~17.3 milesBattle of Chalgrove 1643Battle (1643) · ~19.4 miles
Domesday entry for Rousham, Oxfordshire →
All Scheduled Monuments