English: A dovecote near Leverington The dovecote is at least 300 years old, (fn. 70) and is a fine specimen of its kind. It is an octagonal brick building with ingress through the top. Within was an octagonal wooden funnel, some 7 ft. long. This acted as a kind of decoy, for a bird flying down would find difficulty in making its way out, and by the time that it had done so would usually become accustomed to its surroundings and would remain of its own accord. Around the inside of the building are over 800 brickbuilt nests, arranged in tiers. Access to these was provided by a revolving ladder, which could be swung round in any direction to provide approach to every nest in the building. From: 'Wisbech Hundred: Leverington', A History of the County of Cambridge and the Isle of Ely: Volume 4: City of Ely; Ely, N. and S. Witchford and Wisbech Hundreds (2002), pp. 186-197. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=21916 Date accessed: 16 October 2009.