MANLEY OLD HALL DOVECOTE
ELEVATION FACING WEST
The tablet in the brickwork records the death of . A closer examination shows that it is not in its original position so it was probably moved to this place at a later date than the inscribed on it.
The lintel above the doorway shows that it was a much grander opening than now and that a vertical stone which would match the damaged one to the left of the doorway has been lost. This may have caused the collapse of the walling to the right of the doorway. The inside of this doorway provides further clues.
This view also shows that the building has a through way to a similar doorway in the east elevation. These two large doorways do not seem compatible with the requirements of a dovecote for which, one would have thought one small doorway would suffice.
Finally there is the row of protruding stones one course below the doorsill to be accounted for.
Given that the part of the moat excavated to the south of the building indicates a line that would pass just in front of this elevation it seems reasonable that this building was the gatehouse of the moated platform site with a bridge on its west side.The question remains if the brick dovecote was a later addition or was part of the original structure. A reconstruction picture may give some further clues.
On all four sides the courses of stones below the floor level are of coarser work and in several cases of dark red sandstone rather than the buff sandstone of the upper structure. This may be because these courses would have been below the general level of the platform and thus little seen or they could indicate the foundations of an earlir timber frame gatehouse.