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Melville Doocot

Monimail, Fife

Location Guide

This doocot was originally built as a windmill sometime during the 1700's. It stands on a mound which contains a vaulted storage chamber. The walls were battered (wider at the bottom) to help offset the weight of the sails. These would have been fixed into a wooden top structure which could be rotated to angle the sails to the wind.

At some point it was converted to a doocot, by cutting off the top and adapting the design to be able to take a single-pitched roof. All the windows were blocked up, except one which was left for the pigeons to fly in and out.

Photo by Jim Bain

Inside the walls were lined with stone nesting-boxes. During restoration in the 1970's some missing stone boxes were replaced with concrete replicas. In the centre is a wooden structure called a 'potence', which is a ladder attached to a central rotating wooden pillar, this allowed access to the nesting boxes, and could be moved by the person on the ladder kicking against the wall.

The windmill, and later the doocot, were part of the estate surrounding Melville House, the home of the Earls of Leven and Melville.

To see inside the key is available at Windmill Cottage, see the contact information page on their website for contact information.


Location: Melville Doocot, Monimail, Fife

Grid Reference: NO302127 Ceremonial County: Fife

Map Link: Multimap

Aerial photo: Multimap Aerial

Getting there: From Cupar take the A91 towards Auchtermuchty. At the roundabout of the A92 straight across and it is on the right hand side of the road on a mound in front of some woodland.

Access: Exterior at all times it sits on north side of the A91.
Website: www.melvilledoocot.co.uk
Other Useful Websites: The Doocot Capital of Scotland
Email:
Address:
Postcode: Telephone:
Opening Times: Exterior All reasonable times.

Charges: None

Nearby Locations:
Other Location Pages:

Other Relevant Pages:  Dovecots   Dovecots in England    Dovecots in Wales

Doocots in Scotland

Notes:

 

 

 

 

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By: Tracey Park Section: Heritage Section Key:
Page Ref: melville_doocot Topic: Dovecots  Last Updated: 09/2010

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