Leeds Priory Dovecote, Abbey Farm, Leeds, Kent

The dovecote which belonged to the former Leeds Priory in Kent remains standing as a roofless ruin whose condition has deteriorated seriottsly in Íhe last 25 years. It forms part of the Scheduled Ancient Monument of the Priory and its condition has prompted a programme of emergency stabilisation qnd consolidation works. The interior of the dovecote contained important structural remains of the collapsed building, particularly its roof timbers, and the
stabilisation works offered the opportunity of archaeologícally recording and, where appropriate, retaining those remains. The Oxford Archaeological Unit oversaw the
clearance of the interior of the dovecote, labelling each fallen timber and recording within which part of the building it was located. An assessment of was then made of the nature and function of each timber and whether it offered any potential for reuse. The internal and
external walls of the dovecote were cleared of vegetation and were recorded using rectifed photography. The principal finding of the work was to confirm that the basic form of the roof would have been as that shown in o survey and article written in 1973 by J Caiger.