PLANS have been submitted to raise a ruined dovecote to its former glory on an historic West Somerset estate.

Trustees of the Wyndham Estate want to carry out the work at Orchard Wyndham, a grade one listed manor house near Williton dating to the early 15th century.

Helen Bennet, of Jonathan Rhind Architects Ltd, said the house had been the seat of the Wyndham and Earl of Egremont family and their ancestors for more than seven centuries.

Mrs Bennet said the 18th century dovecote had fallen into a state of ruin and lost its roof structure and two of its historic cylindrical sandstone piers.

She said: “As the dovecote is largely collapsed into a state of ruin with little left except its walls and two piers, it has suffered the loss of its aesthetic significance as a building and hence been detrimental to its overall significance.

“The proposal seeks to reinstate the dovecote from its ruins to its previous historic form as a traditional West Somerset linhay structure.

“This will not only restore the old dovecote, but also the traditional agricultural dovecote/linhay yard, giving it a new lease of life.”

Mrs Bennett said the form and outline of the original building wold be restored, including reinstatement of characterful cylindrical sandstone piers, repair of damaged sandstone walls, and a new timber roof structure with slate covering to match the original.

The building’s distinct pigeon holes which gave it its namesake would also be restored, and the historic cobbled dovecote yard.