Introduction
The garden at Willersey Manor features a former dovecote. The house was originally associated with Evesham Abbey.
- History
Willersey Manor is reputed to have been built in the 14th century for the Abbot of Evesham as his summer residence. After the dissolution of the monasteries the Manor was granted to John Bourne, Queen Mary’s Secretary of State. The property is traditionally associated with the Elizabethan composer William Byrd (around 1540-1623). During the 16th and 17th centuries it belonged to the Roper family who were staunch Catholics. After Anthony Roper's death in 1737 the property was owned by the Gibbs family and after them by Walter Ingles.
- Features & Designations
Features
- Dovecote
- Description: Former dovecote now used as a store.
- Key Information
Type
Garden
Principal Building
Domestic / Residential
Survival
Part: standing remains
Civil Parish
Willersey
- References
References
- Atkyns, R. et al, {The Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire} (London: Robert Gosling, 1712), pp. 820-1 The Ancient and Present State of Gloucestershire
- Verey, D., {The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1, The Cotswolds} (London: Penguin, 1970), pp. 724-5 The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds
Contributors
D G Chamberlayne